Airport News
New flights announced for Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Sun, 31 Jan, 2010
A range of new routes have been announced for Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Ryanair and easyJet have both stated that they are to begin new services from the Merseyside hub this year.
Flights to the Canary Islands, Trapani in northern Sicily and Lodz in Poland will all now be linked to Liverpool by Ryanair, which is also set to base two new aircraft at the terminal, the Daily Post has reported.
In addition to these flights, easyJet is beginning services to the Greek island of Rhodes and Bodrum in Turkey. These are the only flights to the two countries that depart from John Lennon Airport.
People travelling by car to the airport have the pleasure of enjoying the UK's best airport car park, as the hub was given the title last November at the Holiday Extras Consumer Awards.
Almost 18,000 holidaymakers cast their votes to find the best holiday companies and airports in the UK.
John Lennon Airport: business as usual
Fri, 21 Aug, 2009
Officials at John Lennon Airport (JLA) have confirmed that it will be 'business as usual' despite the recent confirmation of industrial action by baggage handlers.
Employees who work for Servisair began an industrial action yesterday (August 20th) but the airport has informed passengers that the company has contingency plans to guard against a strike.
Airport director at JLA Andy Gower noted that he is disappointed about the strike.
He said: "However the reassurances we have been given by the handling agent involved, means that we expect those passengers whose airline uses Servisair, to be able to get away on flights without any problems."
The airport also confirmed that around half of all the passenger traffic that passes through the site will be on airlines that do not use Servisair for their baggage handling.
JLA recently announced the addition of two new winter routes, from budget airline Ryanair, to Agadir in Morocco and Bremen in Germany, both of which begin in October.
Liverpool Airport to welcome new airline
Fri, 03 Jul, 2009
Liverpool's John Lennon airport is welcoming the news that Eastern Airways is to begin scheduled flights this July.
As of Monday (July 6th) the Humberside-based airline will begin to fly from Liverpool to Southampton and Aberdeen.
The services will depart from the airport in the Northern city three times a day and the announcement has been hailed as "fantastic" by Chris Holliday, Eastern Airways' chief operating officer.
He said: "Our new services to Aberdeen and Southampton will provide the region’s travellers with convenient day return flights from their local airport, saving them valuable time.
"When developing routes we look at cities where there are traditionally strong industry links and Liverpool and its surrounding region certainly has that."
The news follows yesterday's announcement by easyJet that it will also be flying new routes out of Liverpool's airport.
Liverpool's John Jennon Airport was opened in 1933 and is seven miles outside of the city centre.
Easyjet to fly more routes from UK airports
Thu, 02 Jul, 2009
Budget air travel operator easyJet has announced that it will fly eight new routes from airports in Britain.
The winter schedule for the airline is about to get busier when it adds new services to several popular winter sun spots.
For holidaymakers wanting to escape the doom and gloom of winter, new destinations covered by easyJet include a daily flight to Lyon from Edinburgh, and flights to Porto and Hamburg from Gatwick.
Fuerteventura will also see a new service from Liverpool and Paphos will be available from Luton.
Chief executive of the airline Andy Harrison said: "Times are tough for consumers so we are proud to offer great year-round holiday destinations for incredibly low prices," according to Travel Mole.
The bulk of the new flights will begin in early November.
Despite a difficult time for airlines last year, British Airways and easyJet have both announced new routes for their winter schedules.
Liverpool Airport gains Italy, France flights
Thu, 04 Jun, 2009
Liverpool Airport has gained a number of new holiday destinations.
Budget carrier easyJet has launched the services, which go to Italy, France and Croatia.
The routes to Naples, Bordeaux and Dubrovnik began this week and use a new £20 million Airbus A320, the ninth plane to be based at the facility.
Carly Brear, UK commercial manager at the carrier, explained the trips were being introduced due to popular demand.
Deputy chief executive officer at Peel Airports Neil Pakey added the flights will build on the Liverpool transport centre's success.
"The new easyJet routes will give passengers even more destinations to choose from this summer, adding Croatia to the list of countries we now serve and expanding our list of destinations in France and Italy," he commented.
Other places the firm flies to from the north-west hub include Alicante, Barcelona, Lisbon and Madrid.
There are a range of airport parking options available at the Merseyside facility, including long and short-stay.
New Liverpool Airport domestic services a "milestone"
Fri, 15 May, 2009
Two new domestic Liverpool Airport flights have been heralded as a "milestone".
Services to Aberdeen and Southampton will begin at the Merseyside hub on July 6th, it has been announced.
Eastern Airways will run the return routes three times per day to the Scottish and Hampshire destinations.
The firm commented this will offer those on work-related trips more "flexibility" and holidaymakers the chance to enjoy attractions in the nearby areas of north Wales, Lancashire and Cheshire.
Chief operating officer at the airline Chris Holliday said using the services will be much quicker than road or rail.
"By offering three flights each weekday, business travellers will be able to spend a day in Aberdeenshire or in the south of England without the real need for overnight accommodation," he added.
Neil Pakey, deputy chief executive for the Liverpool transportation centre's parent company, remarked that its airport parking options made check-in speedy.
Those driving to the hub are advised it is located just off Speke Hall Avenue.
New flight launched from Liverpool to Amsterdam
Tue, 31 Mar, 2009
Those who use the Liverpool John Lennon Airport and its car parking facilities will now be able to travel to Amsterdam Schiphol with a new service.
A number of guests and passengers took part in celebrations at the facility to mark the launch of the new KLM service.
This latest addition now means travellers can fly to hundreds of destination worldwide from the north-west location.
KLM will use a Fokker 70 jet aircraft for the service, which can hold up to 80 passengers and will depart three times a day.
Christine Ourmieres, general manager of Air France KLM, UK and Ireland, remarked forward bookings of the new route are already growing strongly.
"KLM is delighted with the level of support received from the Liverpool region. It's an exciting new territory and a positive addition to our extensive UK network," she commented.
Ms Ourmieres concluded she expects the flight to become even more popular in the near-future as the airline becomes more established within the area.
Earlier this month, Wizz Air expanded its Liverpool operations to include a three-weekly flight to the Czech Republic.
Airport passengers call for improved transport
Wed, 25 Feb, 2009
Calls are being made to improve airport links for people wishing to fly from Liverpool to north Wales.
Neil Pakey, head of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, said that locals need bus and rail services so that they do not have to drive to the airport, reported the Daily Post North Wales.
He told the Welsh Affairs committee that Liverpool John Lennon Airport has seen a rise in passengers from north Wales.
Mr Pakey said there had been 52,000 such passengers ten years ago but in 2007 the figure was 290,000.
He called for a bus service from Chester and also a rail link from there to Liverpool South Parkway.
Such a plan would cost £11 million but Mr Pakey said this was a relatively low cost.
Currently, several bus services to the airport are operated by Arriva as well as by Supertravel and HLS, which provide the 886 and 883 respectively.
Hilton hotel planned for Liverpool Airport
Wed, 14 Jan, 2009
Passengers taking flights in and out of Liverpool Airport will soon be able to spend a night in a Hilton hotel.
As part of a £37 million development programme at the north-west hub, the hotel chain has agreed to run a 160-bedroom development.
The hotel will operate under Hilton's economy brand - Hampton by Hilton - and is due to open in the summer.
Also included in the improvement programme will be a new bridge linking airport parking facilities to the terminal building.
Peter de la Perrelle, director of Peel Holdings, which owns Liverpool Airport, said the new hotel will continue the successful development of the hub.
He said it will "bring a quality hotel product to the airport where guests will be able to walk undercover from the hotel directly to the terminal building".
Liverpool Airport serves destinations around the world, including the United States, India and South Africa.
Positive outlook for Liverpool Airport
Fri, 19 Sep, 2008
Liverpool Airport is performing well and expects a similar trend for the coming months, a spokesperson has said.
Robin Tudor, the hub's general manager of corporate and community affairs, told the Liverpool Echo that despite the credit crunch, scheduled traffic at the airport is up three per cent for the period from January to the present date.
"We are coping well. Fortunately we have strong links with easyJet and Ryanair, budget airlines who are well-positioned to ride this very difficult time out," he commented.
Mr Tudor added that people seeing holidays as essential should mean that the airport continues to see growth even as Britons tighten their belts in other areas.
Budget airline Ryanair recently announced a number of new routes to European destinations from the north-western hub.
Liverpool Airport, also known as Liverpool John Lennon, handled some 5.47 million passengers in 2007, making it one of Europe's fastest growing airports.
Ryanair launches four new routes from JLA
Mon, 23 Jun, 2008
Ryanair has said new routes from Liverpool Airport to Poland, Ireland and Portugal prove the budget airline is committed to offering a range of services to its clientele in the north-west of England.
At the end of last week, Ryanair announced four new routes to Knock in Ireland, Gdansk and Scezecin in Poland, and Faro in Portugal, starting at the end of October 2008.
To celebrate, Ryanair is offering seats on its flights to the new destinations from £31.
Ryanair spokesperson Bridget Dowling said: "This latest route expansion means that passengers in the north-west can now enjoy an even greater choice of low fare destinations."
The new routes mean an extra 210,000 passengers a year will be passing through Liverpool Airport.
Last month, Ryanair announced it planned to launch a new route to Frankfurt from Manchester Airport.
Commencing on October 26th, the Frankfurt route will operate on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Shoppers get more choice at Liverpool
Thu, 24 Jan, 2008
Passengers flying from Liverpool Airport now have more places to spend their money while waiting to board their flight.
Since the start of the month Go Pizza, Bo Shoes and World in Motion have opened new outlets on Level 3 before security.
Those have been supplemented by the opening of a new store by luggage retailer Antler in the departure lounge.
Liverpool Airport is already home to familiar high street names such as Boots and Starbucks and property manager Andrew Nicholls said: "We have a fantastic choice of shopping with a great mix of top name brands, boutique stores and eateries."
Merseyside's air passengers may also take some pleasure from Liverpool Airport's efforts to go green.
It has installed two 15-metre high six-kW wind turbines to help generate it electricity. They have been put in on a trial basis while their impact on air traffic control equipment is monitored, but if they prove safe the airport plans to add more turbines.
Austrian service takes off
Tue, 08 Jan, 2008
Budget airline easyJet today began operating a new route between Liverpool Airport and the Austrian city of Innsbruck.
The three times a week service will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with seats available from £24.99 one way, including taxes.
David Osborne, the airline's UK general manager, said the new service, which he expects to prove popular with winter sports enthusiasts, was part of easyJet's commitment to increasing the choice available to passengers travelling from the country's regional airports.
He said: "easyJet has seen a huge increase in flights to ski and summer destinations this year, reinforcing easyJet's position as the favourite airline for independent travellers."
Meanwhile, easyJet has announced it sold 38,234,700 seats on its flights during 2007, which represents an increase of 13.5 per cent from its 2006 sales figures.
However, it has also revealed the proportion of unsold seats on its routes rose by 1.1 per cent to 16.5 per cent of full capacity.
19 airports to lift baggage restrictions
Mon, 31 Dec, 2007
Only 19 of the country's airports have been given the green light to relax baggage restrictions next month, it has emerged.
The government announced in November that the limit of one piece of hand luggage per passenger would be lifted on January 7th 2008, providing airports could prove that security procedures had been improved to sufficient levels.
A number of important sites, including London Gatwick Airport, Leeds-Bradford Airport and Liverpool Airport, have failed to satisfy the Department for Transport that they can cope with the additional carry-on baggage.
The news means airlines that operate from several UK airports will have to decide whether to implement a number of different policies or to stick with the one-bag rule for all flights in an attempt to avoid confusion among customers.
Changes to luggage restrictions are due to come into force on the same day as the first of three planned strikes by workers at BAA's seven UK airports is scheduled to take place.
Relaxing baggage restrictions 'not without confusion'
Mon, 17 Dec, 2007
The UK's plans to relax baggage restrictions may be confusing, according to the managing director of a regional airport.
Neil Pakey of Liverpool Airport told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that around half of the country's airports will apply for the existing one-cabin bag limit to be lifted.
Those that are not looking to lift the restrictions introduced in 2006 are being discouraged by "practicalities", Mr Pakey claimed.
"For some it's a big question of investment and where do you find them money to pay for all this new technology? For others it's an airline choice," he remarked.
At some airports one airline may take a different approach to another, he added.
The Department for Transport said that more than one piece of cabin baggage will be allowed after January 7th 2008, the BBC reports.
A spokeswoman for the department said that it is the responsibility of airports and airlines to keep their passengers informed about baggage restrictions.
Liverpool to Jersey service set to fly
Mon, 26 Nov, 2007
Liverpool Airport has confirmed that easyJet is to begin operating a new route to Jersey from March 31st 2008.
The daily service to the Channel Island takes the number of destinations the budget carrier flies to from Liverpool Airport to 18.
Vic Brodrick, group commercial director for Liverpool's owner Peel Airports, welcomed this latest expansion of easyJet's operations, following the recent announcement of new routes to the Portuguese capital Lisbon and the Austrian ski resort of Innsbruck.
He added: "A daily link to Jersey will certainly benefit the business community and no doubt be popular with those passengers wanting to visit the island for a mini break."
The airline is also planning to launch a new daily service between London Luton Airport and Jersey on April 21st 2008.
It anticipates carrying a combined total of around 200,000 passengers during the first 12 months that the two new flights are in operation.
Liverpool launches for Ryanair
Mon, 05 Nov, 2007
Budget airline Ryanair has expanded its services from Liverpool Airport by launching eight new routes.
Among the new flights are services to four European capital cities - Budapest, Stockholm, Madrid and Belfast.
The other services fly to holiday hotspots Tenerife and Fuerteventura, and the Polish cities of Lodz and Bydgoszcz.
Liverpool Airport's general manager of government and corporate affairs Robin Tudor predicted the new routes would prove popular with the north-west's holidaymakers.
"As the winter draws nearer this is the ideal time to escape to Spain or the Canary Islands for some winter sun or enjoy the Christmas Markets in Budapest and Stockholm," said Mr Tudor.
Rival low-cost carrier easyJet recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its first flight from Liverpool Airport.
It now flies to 19 destinations from Merseyside and will increase that total by two in the coming months when it commences services to the Portuguese capital Lisbon and the Austrian city of Innsbruck.
Liverpool launches Romania service
Fri, 05 Oct, 2007
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has seen off the inaugural flight to the capital of Romania, Bucharest.
Operated by Wizz Air, the service will run three times a week until the end of February, when it will be extended to four times a week.
Head of corporate communications and public affairs of Wizz Air Natasa Kazmer comments that the new route has followed the success of the airline's flights to Poland.
"After three years of successful operation to three Polish cities we are glad to expand our network from Liverpool to a new EU member state," she remarks.
She adds that Romania is a must-see for any traveller with picturesque countryside and beautiful beaches.
Wizz Air recently announced that it will be upping its service to Polish city Gdansk to daily flights.
Last month, Liverpool John Lennon Airport was presented with the prestigious title of UK Airport of the Year at the Travel Trade Gazette Awards.
Liverpool awarded UK's Airport of the Year
Tue, 18 Sep, 2007
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has been honoured the prestigious title of UK Airport of the Year Award 2007 by the Travel Trade Gazette (TTG).
In an awards ceremony held last night in London, the Merseyside airport fought off competition from Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, London Luton and Bristol to be awarded with the accolade.
John Lennon Airport's managing director Neil Pakey stated that the award was a confidence boost for the airport which has turned "investment into a real experience".
"This gives us confidence to keep pressing ahead and be at the forefront of the north-west's regeneration programme," he remarked.
The airport was scrutinised by a TTG judging panel of 37 industry figures, including Andy Cooper, the Federation of Tour Operators director general, as well as the founder of Carrick Travel, Sally Carrick.
Last month, Liverpool's popularity is likely to have increased with passengers to the airport as it announced new routes to Lisbon, Portugal, Valencia in Spain and Innsbruck, Austria.