Record-breaking numbers of passengers have used Exeter International Airport this year and the magic half million mark has been reached in the financial year, since April 1st.
The 500,000 passenger figure represents a 70% increase on the same period last year (April – October) and is mainly attributable to the additional flybe scheduled services which started in the spring. Daily flybe flights to Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh and to the sunshine routes of Alicante, Faro and Malaga, were added to the previously operating Dublin and Channel Islands services. Following the huge success of these new services flybe launched a further daily service to Newcastle at the end of October.
Richard Westlake, Chairman of EDAL, said: “This is a significant landmark for the airport, which is seeing year on year growth in passenger numbers thanks to the increase in flight destinations now reached from Exeter, as well as the hard work of airport staff. With the latest services to Paris, Leeds, Liverpool and Palma, and the six new routes announced earlier this year, the airport is expecting approximately 700,000 visitors through the airport by the end of March 2005 – that’s a 63% rise on last year’s passenger figures.”
To mark the occasion, Geoff Myers, Managing Director of Exeter International Airport, presented a bottle of champagne to Kate McNaughton from Topsham, Exeter, the lucky person travelling with flybe to Edinburgh, who represented the half-millionth passenger. Laura Glanville from the airline also attended the event.
Mike Rutter, Sales and Marketing Director, flybe, commented: “This represents not only fantastic news for the company, but also a tremendous economic and social boost to the South West region as a whole. Passengers at Exeter can enjoy great value flights to major domestic cities within the UK, and with the newly announced routes to Leeds Bradford, Liverpool and Palma, flybe are confirming its commitment to consolidating its profile as one of the largest regional low fares business and leisure carriers in the UK, with a network stretching across the backbone of Britain.”
