Norwich International Airport has announced new flights to Alicante, Malaga and Geneva after airport operated Regional & City Airports (RCA) completed an agreement to guarantee winter and summer flights.
RCA, the UK regional airport operator, has strengthened its strategic association with Flybe to introduce year-round scheduled holiday flights at Norwich Airport with seats available for booking from early November after the release of Flybe’s 2016 summer schedule.
The partnership will see the return of scheduled sunshine flights to Norwich for the first time in almost a decade. Year round services from Norwich Airport to Alicante and Malaga will start in March 2016, while the new flight service to Geneva is expected later in 2016.
Sir Peter Rigby, chairman and founder of RCA owners Rigby Group, said: ‘Since taking ownership of Norwich Airport a year ago we have been firm on our commitment to invest in the future of the site. Today, with a milestone agreement guaranteeing the continued operation of scheduled winter and summer holiday routes from the airport, we have underlined that determination with some very concrete results.
‘I am confident that this announcement, which provides tangible proof of the exciting future facing Norwich, will be just first of many positive developments.’
Andrew Bell, who heads up RCA (Regional and City Airports), the airport management division of Rigby Group PLC and owners of Norwich, said: ‘This is a tremendously exciting time. For nine years the issue of reviving scheduled sunshine flights from Norwich has been the number one priority issue raised by our customers, and to see them return from 2016 will be hugely welcomed across the region.’
With the agreement, one of Flybe’s Embraer 195 aircraft will return to the skies and will be used more frequently by the airport. The initial destinations will be available for booking next month, and RCA will investigate the possibility of adding extra routes in case of continued demand, the airport said.
