Bradford-based airline planning to expand in 2011 (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford-based airline planning to expand in 2011

10:11am Monday 6th September 2010 in

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Budget airline Jet2.com says it is trading ahead of expectations, despite disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud in the spring and threats to aviation from more people taking holidays at home.

The Yeadon-based operator, which is in a fight for passengers with Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, which also has a major base at Leeds-Bradford, is planning expansion in 2011.

This is despite announcing a dip in profits by its parent company, the Dart Group, in June. Fewer passengers pushed group turnover down from £439 million the previous year to £434 million. Pre-tax profits fell by a third from £33.5 million to £22.2 million, due to lower margins at Jet2. com following lower demand.

Jet2.com carried more than 3.1 million scheduled and charter passengers. But at the group’s recent annual meeting boss Philip Meeson was upbeat and told shareholders that Jet2.com had weathered the disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud and is planning to launch new services.

He said key measures of the airline’s business success were ‘in positive territory’ in spite of the problems facing the sector.

Mr Meeson, chairman and chief executive of the Dart Group, said its distribution business Fowler Welch-Coolchain continued to deliver revenue growth, although operating margins were under pressure. He said: “The aviation business has delivered both higher load factors and yields than last year in its scheduled flying operations, despite the disruption to the business caused by the volcanic ash cloud, with continued growth in Jet2holidays.

“Jet2.com continues to expand the number of leisure routes it serves, with further growth planned for summer, 2011.

“Overall, the business is trading ahead of current market expectations.”

The airline is investing £1.5 million in upgrading seats on its fleet of aircraft to save fuel and give passengers more legroom. Its larger 757 aircraft have been fitted with the new seats, in time for the re-launch of special Christmas shopping return flights to New York in the autumn.

More than 30 planes are being refitted in what Jet2.com said was a green and cost-effective investment.

Ryanair has also announced an expansion of its operation at Leeds-Bradford Airport, with its winter schedule growing to 13 flights.

From November, passengers will be able to fly on to Barcelona, Dusseldorf (Weeze), Gdansk and Fuerteventura.