Jet2.com, the low cost airline, has not only announced eight new destinations from its base at Leeds Bradford airport but also a significant expansion of existing routes and a closer working relationship with Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie, all aimed at significantly raising the profile of Jet2.com, Leeds Bradford International Airport and the Yorkshire region, particularly on the European stage.

In the largest single route expansion in the history of the airline, brand new services are being launched to:

• Hamburg (Lubeck) starts 1 May, four times per week


• Madrid starts 2 May, four times per week


• Jersey starts 24 May, three times per week


• La Rochelle starts 24 May, once a week


• Avignon from starts 22 May, three times per week


• Sardinia (Olbia) starts 3 May, once a week


• Crete (Heraklion) starts 20 May, once a week


• Cyprus (Paphos) starts 4 May, twice a week

The airline also announced that it alone plans to fly 3.5 million passengers from Leeds Bradford airport by 2010; one million more than the current annual passenger figures for the airport’s entire operations.

The majority of the inaugural flights leaving Leeds Bradford in May 2008. The additional destinations will increase the airline’s routes from Yorkshire’s premier airport to 36 and represents a 20% year on year increase in capacity.

In addition, flights to Geneva and Lanzarote will also start to operate on a year-round basis and Leeds Bradford to Paris will increase to a twice-daily service. Flights to Belfast International will also increase from two to three times a day and Toulouse will expand by 100 per cent, offering two flights a week.

The airline also announced that it had entered into a major shirt sponsorship deal with Leeds Carnegie/Leeds Rhinos, the city’s two major rugby clubs.

The announcements were made at a press conference held jointly by Jet2.com, Leeds Bradford International Airport and Leeds Rugby at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium.

Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com, said: “These announcements are very exciting and form part of our strategic plan to significantly raise the profile of Leeds Bradford International Airport. As an airline, we’re always delighted to announce new routes and this is no exception. We are now offering direct flights to 36 destinations across Europe from Leeds Bradford and we’ve got some fantastic new destinations on offer. Our unprecedented route expansion includes destinations in two countries we’ve never served before; Paphos in Cyprus and Heraklion in the Greek island of Crete.”

“We are particularly excited about Hamburg, which further reinforces our ongoing expansion into Germany and we look forward to the increased business between Hamburg and the Leeds City Region as a result.”

“Our sponsorship of Leeds Rugby is also significant. We carry more passengers to Yorkshire than any other airline in the region and we are pleased to be working with Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie, cementing a partnership between two very strong Yorkshire brands.”

Leeds Bradford International Airport Managing Director, Ed Anderson said, “The announcement of Jet2.com’s programme for next summer is stunning news for the Yorkshire Region. The addition of eight new routes for next summer, many of which have never been served before by scheduled services from Leeds Bradford, gives business and leisure travellers a superb choice of destinations from their local airport.
It represents the largest number of new routes ever added to the airport’s portfolio in a single announcement.”

Incoming Leeds Bradford Chief Executive, John Parkin, said: “I applaud all that Jet2.com has achieved at Leeds Bradford Airport and I very much look forward to working with them over the coming years.”

Gary Hetherington, Leeds Rugby, said: “Like ourselves, Jet2.com is a successful company with a local base but international horizons and I see this as a perfect partnership. Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie represent the city of Leeds and Yorkshire across Europe and beyond and we are proud to have Jet2.com as our official airline partner and associate sponsor.”