Rough Landings As Barcelona Route Axed

While two new destinations are being added, the budget airline Jet2.com has said it is dropping its Belfast to Barcelona route.

Although Croatia and Cornwall will now go up on the company's online booking website as fresh destinations from Belfast, Jet2.com - a subsidiary of Dart Group plc, the aviation services and distribution group - Barcelona is being axed as it is being "over-serviced".

Jet2.com boss Philip Meeson claimed: "Unlike other airlines, which are grounding planes due to hard times, we are expanding our range of destinations and are planning to increase our overall capacity from Northern Ireland.

"We have just announced record trading and load factors and we have been able to do this by introducing exciting leisure destinations that our customers want, at great value fares, at the times they want to fly," he said.

However, he admitted: "With Barcelona, the route is simply over-serviced and we want our customers to be able to explore new, beautiful, and exciting destinations.

"Croatia is an absolutely wonderful holiday destination on the Adriatic Coast offering the same great weather as the Mediterranean, with great value hotels and restaurants and miles and miles of beautiful beaches.

"Cornwall is the great British holiday destination ideal for families, surfers and lovers of first class regional food," he enthused, while noting that the Belfast International to Dubrovnik and International to Newquay would create about 50 jobs.

The senior executive said they are ending the Barcelona service from 26 October and that customers who have booked flights to Barcelona in 2009 would get refunds or a free destination change.

Meanwhile, the company's flights to Malaga end on 2 November, although a spokesman insisted this was because the route is only a summer season - and there are no plans to axe or reduce that popular route in 2009.

(BMcC)