Teesside International airport (formerly Durham Tees Valley airport) in north-east England is due to gain six new routes across the UK, including its first direct flights to London for 11 years.
Flybe franchise partner Eastern Airways unveiled the twice-daily flights to London City airport as part of a package of new services, which also includes routes to Southampton, Dublin, Belfast City, Cardiff and the Isle of Man.
Cardiff flights will operate five times a week starting 10 February, then from 9 March there will be six flights a week each to Dublin and Belfast City, as well as double-daily flights to Southampton. The London route begins on 27 April, followed by a seasonal service to the Isle of Man starting 30 May.
The new routes complement Eastern Airways’ existing service between Teesside and Aberdeen, which will be boosted by extra flights starting 10 February.
The announcement includes 37 new flights per week and an additional 185,000 seats each year. Teesside said an engineering base will be created at the airport to support aircraft operating the additional routes.
Roger Hage, Eastern Airways’ general manager of commercial and operations, said: “This is a significant strategic partnership for both the airline and airport to develop the number of destinations available from Teesside airport. The mix of business and leisure travellers in the region will benefit from this major expansion of three based aircraft operating a broad Teesside network of Flybe routes operated by Eastern Airways, including a number of onward connections in the wider Flybe network.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen commented: “Teesside International airport is hugely important to our local economy and the investment that will create the good quality, well-paid jobs we all want to see come to our region won’t come on a bus, it will come via our airport terminal.
“Our local people want connections to some of the UK and Ireland’s biggest cities, including a direct route to our capital. Eastern Airways shares our vision for fantastic transport connections and has worked with the airport for years. We’re delighted they are strengthening their ties with us, bringing their expertise of the local market to help secure the airport’s future.”
Tickets for the new routes will be available to book in the coming days through the Flybe website.
teessideinternational.com; easternairways.com