8:57am Friday 9th October 2009
By Joe Willis
BUSINESS and leisure travellers have been urged to help secure the future of a North-East airport by using a new air link to the South Coast.
Eastern Airways will run daily flights to Southampton from Durham Tees Valley (DTV) from November 2.
The regional airline will run two flights every weekday from the Tees Valley to Hampshire.
Bosses said the service would cater for the region’s chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, manufacturing, marine and offshore industries, which had links in and around Southampton.
Fares will start from £69 one way, including taxes and charges.
Chris Holliday, Eastern Airways’ chief operating officer, said: “We are providing the fastest link to Southampton and the south coast of England from the Tees Valley.
“Business travellers will arrive in Southampton before 9am and can save valuable time by returning the same day.”
Durham Tees Valley airport director, Kerry Quinn, said she was delighted with the introduction of the route.
She said: “What we need now is for the local people and businesses, who have been so vocal in their backing for Durham Tees Valley, to actively support the service.
“If they do, then we are confident that we can secure further services and move forward with our development plans for the airport.”
Weekday flights will leave from Durham Tees Valley at 6.45am and 4.55pm, landing in Southampton at 8.40am and 6.50pm.
Services will leave Southampton at 9.10am and 7.20pm, arriving in Durham Tees Valley at 10.55am and 9.05pm.
Eastern already runs four flights a day from DTV to Aberdeen.
Nick Smillie, aviation sales director for Peel Airports, which owns the Tees Valley airport, said: “We have had an excellent relationship with Eastern Airways over a number of years and this announcement demonstrates their confidence in Durham Tees Valley Airport and, of course, means that we now have direct daily service to the South of England.”
In February, The Northern Echo launched its Keep the Region Flying campaign after bmi announced it was cancelling its three daily flights from DTV to Heathrow.
Mr Smillie said many of the passengers who previously used the service to London would find it just as easy to get to their destination from Southampton.
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