Passengers desperate for some summer sun are booking last-minute holidays abroad in their droves from Newcastle Airport to escape the dreary British weather.
The UK has had a miserable start to the summer, with torrential rain and chilly temperatures disappointing those looking forward to some warmer weather.
And it doesn’t look likely a summer heatwave will arrive anytime soon as the Met Office predicts Britain is set to face even more wet weather.
As the British weather continues to disappoint, passengers travelling from Newcastle Airport said they were looking forward to soaking up the sun on their holidays.
Helen Close, from Peterlee, who is travelling to Turkey with her family, said: “The weather has been terrible, you just don’t know what it is going to do.
“We are looking forward to having some family time in the sun and celebrating my nine-year-old son’s birthday.”
Margaret Cudlip, from Durham, is excited to relax and enjoy a girls’ holiday in the sunshine as she visits Sunny Beach in Bulgaria with her friend.
She said: “The summer has been awful, we’ve only had the odd nice day. We go away every year and we can’t wait for some sun.”
Leon McQuaid, Director of Aviation Development at Newcastle Airport, said: “With the weather forecast for the summer looking wet and miserable, we are seeing even stronger demand from our customers for spontaneous travel and last-minute bookings.
“Passengers want nothing more than to get away and relax on beautiful beaches, enjoy the delicious local cuisine and spend some quality time with their friends and family.
“Our customers can fly direct to over 80 destinations from Newcastle Airport, plus over 300 onward connections around the world and it’s never too late to book a great last-minute holiday deal.”
Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent, said it is seeing a strong demand for last-minute summer getaways from Newcastle Airport.
Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, Chief Operating Officer of Hays Travel, said: “It’s not surprising that there is strong demand for holidays to sunnier destinations.
“We know that our North East customers enjoy the convenience of being able to fly from their local airport.
“I encourage anyone yet to book to pop into their local Hays Travel branch, where our staff will be happy to help them choose their summer holiday.”
New research from ABTA, a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry, found the UK’s dismal weather was prompting many to consider a last-minute holiday overseas this summer.
More than a quarter of those interviewed (27%) said they would be tempted to book if they can get a good deal to somewhere hot and sunny, while one in five (19%) said they would book purely to escape from poor weather in the UK.
For further information and full details of flights available from Newcastle Airport, visit www.newcastleairport.com/our-destinations.
To book your next holiday with Hays Travel, visit www.haystravel.co.uk.