FLYBE has today announced that it will start operating a new route between Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport later this year.
The new service will begin on 7th September 2015 and offer up to three flights per day, departing early morning, lunchtime and late afternoon. It joins easyJet which operates a route to Amsterdam from Liverpool.
According to Liverpool airport the flight is aimed at the international connections market: "Flights are timed to coincide with many convenient onward long haul connections available through Amsterdam with destinations including New York, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and Toronto - all will become accessible from Liverpool via Amsterdam."
Dutch airline KLM launched a route with a similar model from Speke in 2008 which, at the time was hailed as viital for the region’s business and tourism sectors. It was abruptly axed three years later with competition on routes and ticket prices from Manchester Airport being blamed by some critics.
Nevertheless, today's news was once again being touted as a significant move "both for the airport and the Liverpool City Region and one that will be welcomed by the region’s business and leisure travellers".
Re-establishing a link to a ‘hub feed’ has been the airport’s number one priority for some time, it says. "It is the most frequently requested route by stakeholders from across the region, who recognise the strategic importance of this link that puts Liverpool on the global route network map and gives opportunities to connects it to the world once again."
Mayor Joe Anderson said, “This is excellent news for Liverpool and the wider city-region. Our ambition is to make Liverpool a national and international destination for visitors and investors alike.
“The route to future markets depends on our connectivity, so re-establishing the connection to Amsterdam opens up a vital gateway to our future prosperity.”
Up, up and awayAndrew Cornish commented, “The importance of this route should not be underestimated and this is a big commitment by Flybe. Their decision to launch this route to Amsterdam will open up the opportunity for global access to and from the Liverpool City Region.
As well as giving business and leisure passengers the convenience of being able to their start long haul journeys from their home airport, it will also bring a further boost for the region’s tourism offer and inward investment opportunities.”
Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, Paul Simmons, commented, “Flybe is delighted to play a part in making it possible for Liverpool customers to access the world through Amsterdam and, just as importantly, make it easier for the rest of the world to come to Liverpool. The airline already has a number of codeshare and interline arrangements with long haul carriers that in the future has the potential to benefit passengers even further.”
This new route will add to Flybe’s existing Liverpool departures to the Isle of Man and Belfast City, with the airline operating a total of up to 120 weekly flights to and from Liverpool.
