Cambridge airport in the UK has been boosted by the introduction of new routes to be operated by a Swiss airline.

Swiss carrier Darwin is establishing Cambridge as a new base for routes to Amsterdam in the Netherlands; the French capital, Paris; Milan in Italy; and Geneva in Switzerland. Operations will commence from September 2, and will involve 50 flights per week in and out of Cambridge. Of these, 24 flights per week will be from or to Amsterdam, 12 will serve Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, 8 will operate to Milan Malpensa, and 6 will serve Geneva.

The flights will utilise Darwin’s fleet of Saab 2000 turboprop aircraft that each have a seating capacity of 50. As a member of Skyteam, Darwin will codeshare on the routes with Alitalia, and flights booked on Alitalia’s AZ code will be included in Skyteam’s Flying Blue rewards scheme that also includes Air France and Netherland’s-based carrier, KLM.

Cambridge airport has been looking to improve its profile and attract new carriers with improvements to its facilities that include complimentary wifi and a new business lounge.

Darwin Airline’s CEO, Maurizio Merlo, said, ‘As we expand within Europe, the UK is a key market for us to further establish and we are delighted to open our new base in the heart of East England. Cambridge is at the forefront of several business sectors and spearheading the UK’s economic growth – it is thriving and vibrant, one of the UK’s most valuable and affluent markets.’

Fares for the new flights start from £119 per person one way and £159 per person for return bookings.