Summer has officially begun at Newcastle International Airport as airlines and tour operators begin their busy summer schedules from the region’s largest airport.

Nearly 3 million passengers will pass through the airport between May and October this year with 865,000 passengers travelling on charter services to popular holiday destinations.

The summer season at Newcastle begins in early May and will see over 120 charter flights a week fly off to a wide range of sunny holiday destinations. This is in addition to the existing range of scheduled and low cost routes planned to operate this summer.

The start of the charter season also ties in with the Bank Holiday period. The airport is expecting 25,000 departing passengers between Friday 3 May and Monday 6 May.

Chris Sanders, Aviation Development Director at Newcastle Airport, said: “We’re geared up and ready for a busy bank holiday and summer season. This summer will see millions of passengers passing through the airport.

“Holidaymakers will be jetting off to exciting holiday destinations such as Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, Malta, Spain, the USA and Caribbean from the UK’s fifth largest charter airport.

“Our tour operator partners including Jewel in the Crown, Just Sunshine, Olympic, Balkan Holidays, Air Malta and Thomson and Thomas Cook have sought to meet most people’s needs for a summer break with their holidays from Newcastle. Travellers dream about this time of year when they can jet off in to the sunshine and enjoy fun filled holidays and create memories which last a lifetime.

“Thousands of families will use our services this year and we’ve rolled-out customer service refresher courses for all staff to ensure that all customers have the best experience possible this summer. Our goal is to be the UK’s most welcoming airport and yet again we are going above and beyond for our customers.”

Passengers travelling through the airport this summer will experience the airport’s spacious terminal development which officially opened last year.

The £3.2 million three-storey terminal development created an additional 5,242 sq. ft. of security search accommodation. The area can provide up to 10 lanes in total to screen hand luggage ahead of entry into the departure lounge, five more than were in operation.

The investment also includes significant changes to immigration areas and both the domestic and international baggage halls to further improve the customer’s journey through the airport.

At the Airport Operators Association (AOA) Awards ceremony 2012, Newcastle was awarded the 'Best Airport with up to six million passengers in the UK' for the fourth year running voted for by some of the world’s leading airlines and tour operators.

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Tyne & Wear, Mr Nigel Sherlock OBE and Newcastle Airport’s Chief Executive, Dave Laws, today officially unveiled The Airport Clock, a bespoke design to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The clock was commissioned by the Lieutenancy Office, on behalf of the people of Tyne and Wear to commemorate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Lord-Lieutenant and Dave Laws officially cut the ribbon to celebrate the installation and were joined by Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Fred Hoult, Deputy Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Robert Heron, Mayor of South Tyneside, Councillor Eileen Leask, Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Malcolm Brain and Chairman of North Tyneside, Councillor Frank Lott.

Dave Laws, Chief Executive of Newcastle Airport, said: “We’re honoured to have been gifted this wonderful clock in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and to be joined civic dignitaries from across the region.

“We serve 4.4 million passengers a year and welcome customers from across the UK and beyond. I am sure The Airport Clock will be admired by many passing through our arrivals hall. It’s a wonderful welcome to the region.”

Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Nigel Sherlock, said: “Newcastle International Airport serves millions of passengers each year and as such an important regional asset we felt this was the ideal place to mark Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee year.

“We’re thrilled with the clock design and its place within the airport. The Airport Clock and the spirit of the Jubilee year will be enjoyed by millions of passengers for many years to come.”

The brushed steel design was created by Smith of Derby clock makers and is located within the airport terminal beside domestic arrivals.

- Scandinavian Airlines launched new booking app

This month, Scandinavian Airlines launched its new app which can be used to book trips to all its destinations directly on a smart phone or tablet device. SAS customers can now easily book, check in, choose a seat on board and receive their mobile boarding pass on their phone or device. The SAS app has already been downloaded nearly 100,000 times and is ranked as the no 1 free app in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

This is just one of the ways in which SAS is continuing to create innovative solutions that make travelling easier for its customers.

"We are really pleased about the positive feedback we received on the app. It has now been downloaded nearly 100,000 times and has been given top marks by our customers, so we are very happy," says Christina Ericsson, VP Global Digital Sales at SAS.

The app allows users to book and pay for flights in three easy steps, with payment accepted in currencies such as Euros, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Kronor. In addition, customers can easily:

• Check in and select a seat (available from many places)
• Receive a mobile boarding pass (available from many places)
• View the status of flights booked
• Pay in full or in part using EuroBonus points
• Access their EuroBonus account
• Change flights
• Find recent social media info and travel ideas
• Read information about passenger rights

"We will continue to have a strong focus on the development of digital services, particularly mobile, as part of our efforts to simplify travel for our customers," says Christina Ericsson, VP Global Digital Sales at SAS.

The app is available to all EuroBonus members, currently over three million people. It also gives non-members the opportunity to apply for EuroBonus membership. The app is available for both iPhone and Android in the majority of countries to which SAS flies and can be downloaded free from the App Store or Google Play.

To find out more, visit www.flysas.com/app. 

For more information on SAS, visit www.flysas.co.uk

Eastern Airways is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its service between Newcastle and Birmingham, which provides an important, fast business link for commuters connecting between the North East and the Midlands.

To mark the occasion, a selection of north east travel agents, including representatives from Horncastle Travel, Hogg Robinson Group, Norseman Travel, Dawson & Sanderson and Business Travel attended a hog roast last night at the Double Tree by Hilton Newcastle Airport hotel.

The UK’s second largest regional airline first started operating the route in 2003 following British Airways decision to withdraw from the route. Up to 24 flights are offered each week, providing a choice of day return weekday options with timings aimed at business travellers.

The domestic air link is used by a wide cross section of businesses including those from engineering, law, finance, government, IT, communications and manufacturing industry sectors, helping to forge strong business links between the two regions.

Over 17,000 flights have been operated between Newcastle and Birmingham since Eastern Airways started the route.

Kay Ryan, Eastern Airways’ commercial director, said: “The 10th anniversary of this route shows our commitment to the region by providing a long established, convenient air service to further strengthen important business links between the North East and the Midlands. Our schedules and timings between Newcastle and Birmingham allow for day return trips, saving business travellers valuable time at a reasonable price.”

Chris Sanders, Newcastle International Airport’s aviation development director, said: “The Birmingham route also provides an important link to a number of other cities such as Coventry, Milton Keynes, Gloucester, Worcester, Wolverhampton and Oxford making it easier to do business across a whole swathe of England. With Eastern Airways’ schedule, there and back in a day means more time to do business and less time spent travelling. We’re delighted to be celebrating its tenth anniversary at Newcastle.”

A dedicated fast track security channel is offered at Newcastle Airport for all Eastern Airways passengers to avoid any queues at security search, which also enables the airline to close check-in just 30 minutes before the departure time. Passengers flying with the airline are not charged for check-in, baggage, choice of seat or onboard drinks and snacks.

Flights to Aberdeen, Cardiff and Stavanger in Norway are also offered by Eastern Airways from Newcastle Airport.

Eastern Airways provides a comprehensive network of domestic flights spanning the length and breadth of the UK and also flies from airports in Norway and France. It operates a fleet of 31 aircraft consisting of regional jets and turbo prop aircraft.

Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has announced a year-long sponsorship of the Tyne and Wear Metro, displaying travel inspiration to Newcastle passengers on the exterior of four Metrocars. The deal demonstrates the airline’s continued support for Newcastle and the North-East region, highlighting it as a major UK hub.

Launching next month, the advertising campaign will display Emirates’ iconic ‘Hello Tomorrow’ imagery on the facade of two Metrocars comprising two carriages. The eye-catching images, revealed across 56 metres of the Metrocars’ exterior, are designed to provide inspiration to Newcastle passengers on their daily commute, showcasing a variety of destinations offered by Emirates from Newcastle International Airport.

Some of the top 10 2013 destinations from Newcastle featured on the carriages include Australia, Hong Kong, Bangkok and of course, Dubai. In addition to the wrapping of two Metrocars, Emirates will be prominent within the interior with 32 internal carriage cards per car, showcasing further Emirates destinations.

The wrapping of the Metrocars follows last year’s upgrade of the daily flight service to Dubai from Newcastle on the fifth anniversary of the service’s launch. The upgrade saw passengers in the North East offered 2,000 mores seats a week and improved on-board facilities, including the award-winning ice entertainment system.

Laurie Berryman, Emirates Vice President UK, commented: “Emirates’ branding of the Metro demonstrates our continued investment in the North East and showcases it as a key regional hub.

“Sitting on a train during a commute is the ideal time to plan future getaways and we hope the wrap provides some destination inspiration for our passengers as they consider their next Emirates flight from Newcastle International Airport.

“We are the only long-haul, scheduled airline to fly daily from Newcastle to Dubai and beyond, allowing our North Eastern passengers to experience long-haul travel from Newcastle, rather than having to change in London or a continental European hub.

“Our commitment to the North East includes Emirates’ sponsorship of Durham County Cricket Club and the recent upgrade of our daily flight to Dubai to a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, due to passenger demand. This is the longest aircraft to operate out of Newcastle airport, and represented a capacity increase of more than 50 per cent as well as an upgraded service for all passengers.”

Dave Laws, Chief Executive of Newcastle International, said: “It is exciting to see Emirates making a further investment in the North East by branding not one, but two, Metro trains. The Metro is an important ground connection for the Airport, and it will be great to see Emirates wrapped trains travelling between the Airport and the key centres served by the Metro network.”

Sharon Kelly, Director of Customer Services at DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which operates the Metro on behalf of Nexus, said: “This investment by Emirates in the North East is excellent news and shows the confidence they have in the region. Metro offers customers a fast, frequent and convenient way of travelling to and from Newcastle International Airport. Whether it’s a business trip or a holiday you’re going on to any of the many destinations available, including Dubai with Emirates, we can help get your journey off to a great start.”

easyJet today (26 March) celebrated its tenth anniversary at Newcastle International Airport by launching a new flight to Jersey and throwing a birthday party for passengers.

• In the decade since its first flight easyJet has become the largest operator at the airport
• The first destinations were Belfast, Barcelona and Alicante – all of which operate today
• Since 2003 over 13 million passengers have flown with easyJet through Newcastle
Since launching their first flights in March 2003 to Belfast, Alicante and Barcelona, easyJet has flown over 13 million passengers to destinations across Europe and the UK. Jersey is the 13th destination served from the airport by easyJet.

Hugh Aitken, Commercial Manager for easyJet, said: “Newcastle was one of the first UK bases easyJet opened outside London and as we’ve grown across Europe it has remained one of our most important hubs. We are really grateful to our passengers in the North East who have chosen to fly with easyJet over the last ten years and our team who have worked exceptionally hard to make travel easy and affordable.

“As the warmest of the British Isles Jersey makes a great holiday destination, with beautiful beaches and a rich history.”

easyJet in Newcastle:
• The most popular destinations over the last ten years are Bristol, Barcelona, Belfast, Majorca and Malaga
• easyJet employs over 150 staff in Newcastle
• More than 70 easyJet flights take off from Newcastle International Airport every week
easyJet has three aircraft based at Newcastle, including an A320 which is amongst the largest in the fleet

Dave Laws, Chief Executive of Newcastle International Airport, said: “We’re delighted both with the launch of this new route to Jersey and to be celebrating ten years with easyJet at Newcastle International Airport.

“easyJet is an important airline partner here at Newcastle and together we’ve helped millions of passengers from the North East explore and enjoy new destinations across Europe and beyond. Ten years is a wonderful milestone and we’re looking forward to the next ten years in which we hope to see easyJet growing from Newcastle with additional exciting new destinations.”

To celebrate a decade at Newcastle international Airport easyJet served up orange birthday cake and Jersey ice cream for customers travelling on the new flight, which was flown by local Captain Graham Brooks who grew up in Jersey and now lives in the North East.

From today easyJet will offer two flights per week to Jersey departing on Tuesdays and Saturdays with fares starting from £20.49 including all taxes and charges. easyJet expect to carry over 30,000 passengers to and from the British Island over the next year alone.

Nexus will be carrying out essential maintenance work on the Metro line as part of the £385 million Metro modernisation programme. The latest area of work is between South Gosforth and Kingston Park. This section of line will be closed on Sunday 24th March until 12.30pm. The Metro line will be running as normal from the Airport to Kingston Park, with a replacement bus in operation. It is anticipated that journeys will take longer than usual.

If you require any additional information please see the Nexus website www.nexus.org.uk.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays are giving northern customers another chance to grab a bite of the big apple, direct from Newcastle International Airport. 

On sale from today, there are two outbound flights taking off on 21st November and 5th December 2013 – perfectly timed to treat a loved one to a pre-Christmas getaway in one of the world’s most romantic cities. Whether choosing to take advantage of the return flight from just £439 per person or booking a complete shopping break with Jet2holidays from £679* per person, giving the gift of the Big Apple is bound to make loved ones and wallets smile! 

Steve Heapy, Chief Executive at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “We are thrilled to offer our local customers the chance to jet off to New York again this year. Our great value flights and package breaks are always extremely popular, so much so that we have put New York on sale even earlier this year. This way our customers have more time to plan their trip so they don’t miss out on the glamour and buzz of this thriving city . Booking early also ensures those looking atfter their finances will have plenty of dollars left to spend on all the must-see and do activities New York has to offer on the run up to Christmas. Those wanting to book a Jet2holidays package break can also book for a deposit of just £60 per person.” 

Dave Laws, Chief Executive of Newcastle International Airport, said: “Jet2.com’s direct New York flights have become a tradition for North East travellers, so it’s great to see them available so early this year. New York is the city that never sleeps and a vibrant destination which really is a must see. We expect these flights will be very popular so we’d urge passengers to make the most of this exciting experience and book now.” 

For flights visit www.Jet2.com or to book your shopping break visit www.jet2holidays.com. 

To find out more about Newcastle International Airport visit www.newcastleairport.com

A new route pass offering 25% discount for travellers booking four return flights has been launched by Eastern Airways across its network, including services from Newcastle International Airport.

The new 4-4-3 Route Pass product initiative introduced by the UK’s second largest regional airline will benefit regular commuters when they purchase four flights for the price of three on any Eastern Airways route.

As part of this new product offering, fares are fully flexible, there are no change fees and passengers will automatically gain access to a number of airport executive lounges.

Eastern Airways provides day return options on many of its routes across the UK and Norway. It also offers fast track security channels at the busier airports it operates from, a fully inclusive service including allocated seating, free hold baggage allowance, along with complimentary drinks and snacks.

Kay Ryan, Eastern Airways commercial director, said: “We’re offering some fantastic savings through this new initiative which also gives customers full flexibility to make as many changes as they want for travel dates and they receive VIP treatment with executive lounge access at applicable airports. We expect the new 4-4-3 Route Pass will prove very popular with business commuters and travellers that make frequent journeys.”

Eastern Airways also offers the Zonal Route Pass providing six flights from the price of four.

The 4-4-3 Route Pass is bookable through travel agents and via Eastern Airways Reservations on 08703 669100.

The airline first started operating scheduled flights from Newcastle in 2003 and provides a choice of daily services to Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff and Stavanger (Norway) from the airport.

Eastern Airways provides a network of services flying from 20 airports in the UK, Norway and France. It also has three 50-seater Embraer 145 jets, two 37-seater Embraer 135 jets, eight 50-seater Saab 2000 aircraft and is the largest operator of 29-seater British Aerospace Jetstream 41 aircraft in the world with 18.

SAS started its new direct route between Newcastle and Copenhagen yesterday, 4 February 2013, with the first aircraft leaving Newcastle for Copenhagen at 7:10pm.

The flights to Copenhagen will operate Monday to Friday, once a day, with an extra Sunday flight added from 7 April 2013. Flights will start from just £96 one-way including all taxes and charges.

The Newcastle-Copenhagen timetable from 4 February 2013 is as follows:
• Newcastle – Copenhagen: departure 19:10 – arrival 21:50
• Copenhagen – Newcastle: departure 18:00 – arrival 18:40

Caroline Theobald, honorary Swedish Consul and chairman of the north east chapter of the Swedish chamber of commerce, said: “The Swedish residents of the north east were thrilled when they heard about the new SAS flight. The route brings Scandinavia even closer to the region and will help many people travel to Swedish destinations as well as Denmark and Norway.”

Lee Carlin, General Manager of Grundfos, said: "I am delighted that a fellow Scandinavian Company has created a strong tie with the North East of England. We are very happy that this new route to Copenhagen is now open and I hope that many of our colleagues will use this route going forwards and encourage many more to visit the North East of England."

Connections are available at Copenhagen to a number of onward points including:
• Finland (Turku and Helsinki)
• Sweden (Gothenburg and Stockholm)
• Norway (Oslo, Bergen)
• Poland (Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw)
• Lithuania (Palanga)
• Denmark (Aarhus, Billund, Aalborg)