AN airline has explained why a route from Teesside Airport will not operate beyond the end of October as it this week confirmed the return of another.
Loganair has said its Bristol route, which currently operates six days per week, will no longer operate beyond Friday, October 29.
It follows on from the airline this week confirming it would operate flights to Southampton, just weeks after rivals Eastern Airways scrapped the route.
Read more: Teesside Airport confirm Southampton route to return under Loganair
Last night, Loganair said the route had been originally planned as a summer service in response to the demand for UK staycations for 2021.
It said that there had been plans for the route to be extended into the winter season, but due to a lack of demand that had not "been the case."
It said bookings had not been "strong enough" for the airline to viably operate the service beyond October.
It is not yet known whether there are any plans for the route to make a return next year.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the airline said: "Our Bristol route was initially planned as a summer 21 service only as a result of the demand for UK staycations.
"That said we were hopeful that bookings would be strong enough to extend its operation into the winter season. Regrettably, that has not been the case."
Teesside Airport echoed that the route between the region and Bristol had been planned to operate for the summer.
A spokesperson said: “Bristol was always a summer route to meet the increased demand for staycations this year."
The airport has faced a challenging few weeks with two losses of routes - and one being operated from Newcastle instead.
However, in recent weeks the airport has said it is looking forward to further routes, including the re-instated Southampton route and Dublin.
The spokesperson added: "We’re pleased Loganair is continuing to add new routes to its schedule, with Dublin and Southampton announced in the past couple of weeks, and we urge local people to continue to support their local airport.”
Read more: Behind the scenes with the firefighting crew at Teesside Airport
Last month, Labour MP Andy McDonald said the withdrawal of two routes from Eastern Airways had brought the case for funding the airport into "serious question."
The Middlesbrough MP said there needed to be a “thorough” review of transport priorities for those in the Tees Valley as he said further spending would not improve the daily transport for residents.
At the time, the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said that there had been a public assessment of the region’s transport priorities in May, which he said saw the majority of the public vote for his plan.
He made the comments as he said that the airport had recently secured a new TUI route to Turkey and low-cost carrier, Ryanair.
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