May be time to fly away

30.04.2004 The May Bank Holiday weekend will see thousands of Midlanders jetting away from Coventry - escaping from what is forecasted to be a wet and windy weekend for the UK. The Bank Holiday is seen by many people as the start of the summer and coincides with the one month anniversary of successful operations of Thomsonfly.com from Coventry Airport.

Thousands of passengers have already enjoyed the Thomsonfly experience for a range of travel needs, with a mix of business people travelling out and incoming, families, couples, a pop band and a school group. Early data shows that holidaymakers are the largest group travelling (68%), with a significant number travelling to visit friends and relatives (21%) and the remaining 11% travelling on business. Customer information shows that 69% of travellers are from the Midlands and the remaining 38% are overseas visitors and people from other parts of the UK. The average trip duration is 9 days for those jetting away on the Midlands newest low cost airline.

Eight of the first eleven routes are now operational: Jersey, Valencia, Venice, Malaga, Palma, Nice, Marseilles and Rome with prices starting from £24.99 one-way including taxes and charges.  Three more routes, to Naples, Pisa and Ibiza will start over the next few weeks.

“It has been a highly successful start to our operation from Coventry,” Alex Hunter, Chief Commercial Officer Thomsonfly.com said.  “We are encouraged by the excellent feedback we have been having from passengers using the airport and our services.   On the back of our successful launch we have also now announced that Robin Hood Airport will be our second base, offering low-fares flights to the Doncaster, Sheffield, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire areas as well.”

Thomsonfly.com is aware of the media coverage surrounding planning permission at Coventry Airport.   “Our passengers can take assurance that a first class legal team is working with Coventry Airport to ensure that they are successful in resolving the planning issue,” Alex Hunter continued.   “But we are resolutely confident that the airport will be vindicated by a successful outcome of the legal case and we remain absolutely committed to Coventry Airport."  

"We will continue to fly from Coventry for a long, long time to come.”