A prestige new winter destination has been announced for South West travellers seeking guaranteed sunshine. In a deal with Thomson and First Choice, Exeter International Airport will offer flights to Sharm El Sheikh and holidays in Red Sea resorts from November 2010.
The series of flights to Egypt, which are the first in the airport’s history, will depart weekly on a Thursday from November until April next winter and South West customers will have all the benefits of departing from their nearby local airport.
This new destination for the airport was agreed with Thomson and First Choice whose airline, Thomson Airways, operates from Exeter. As well as offering land-based package holidays on the Sinai Peninsula, Thomson will also offer Red Sea cruises from Sharm El Sheikh so that passengers will be able to gain easy access to the Thomson winter cruise fleet.
Commenting on the launch of the new route, Exeter International Airport’s managing director, Jamie Christon said: “This has been on the wish-list for some time. For sun-seekers and water-lovers this is a must-do destination. The incredible coral reefs and marine life make this one of the world’s blockbuster scuba spots and as someone who is particularly interested in this water sport, I am especially pleased about the new flights. There is however something to suit every mood and holiday style and the ‘Red Sea Riviera’ caters for a vast array of tastes.”
Mr Christon continued: “The Red Sea cruise ship bookings may be made from today (17 December) and from mid-February the full 2010/11 winter programme will be on sale. We feel that this new Sharm El Sheikh destination will be a great success especially throughout the winter months when spirits may be low.”
Neil Morris, Planning Director for Thomson and First Choice, said: “We are delighted to be operating an additional route from Exeter to Sharm El Sheikh next winter and this decision demonstrates our commitment to the local airport.”
He added: “This new route reflects the high level of demand from those wishing to fly from a regional airport and will offer our customers a wider range of destinations from Exeter.”
