European flights get off the ground

Kent International Airport welcomed its first passengers in almost a year on 25th May, when holiday makers arrived for the inaugural Kent Escapes flight from Manston. The flight to Faro in Portugal’s popular Algarve region took off with 160 passengers on board just before 11am and the second flight left for Barcelona later that day. Flights are now departing to these two destinations on a weekly basis.

Phil Vann, general manager of Kent International Airport spoke to guests attending the launch event. He said that it was fantastic to see passengers back using the airport and that there was a real buzz among the staff. He pointed out that the Seguro Travel Group, under which Kent Escapes operates, has an excellent reputation and that he hoped it would be the first of many operators to use the facilities in the future. He also revealed that the airport would soon be announcing the Kent Escapes programme for the summer of 2007.

As reported in the previous issue of East Kent News, the airport hopes to be offering internal UK flights, particularly for business travellers in the near future.

It has also been announced that weekly air links between Kent International Airport and Virginia, USA, will take off next spring in time for the 400th anniversary celebrations of the first settlement.

Weekly charter flights will be operated by Bromley-based independent tour company Cosmos and its sister airline Monarch.

Kent County Council is injecting £150,000 into the project, with a further £250,000 coming from the other Kent partners.