New destinations announced from Yeadon

Monarch airlines will next year launch a summer schedule serving a dozen new routes from the Yeadon airport to destinations across Europe, it was announced yesterday. It will base two new Airbus A320 aircraft at Leeds Bradford to fly the routes and will employ around 100 people directly with the remainder expected to be created by the impact of its £2million investment.

The move has been hailed as a “major boost” for employment and tourism in the Bradford district, which has suffered a series of jobs blows, including last month’s announcement by travel company Thomas Cook it would shed 460 jobs by next March.

Monarch Airlines managing director Kevin George said: “The strategy for Monarch Airlines is now firmly focused on its scheduled services and we are delighted to add Leeds Bradford as our sixth UK base.”

The announcement builds on Monarch’s decision earlier this year to launch a winter schedule with flights to Grenoble and Munich from Leeds Bradford, starting in December. From summer next year, new routes will fly to destinations including the Balearic Islands, the Canaries, Barcelona, Bodrum and Dalaman in Turkey, Larnaca in Cyprus, Faro in Portugal, and Crete.

The airline’s commercial director, Jochen Schnaet, said: “There will be two aircraft based at Leeds Bradford and they will be crewed from our site, with additional jobs created in handling, catering and supply support functions.

“We have been looking at the opportunity to have a base at Leeds Bradford for some time. We felt that the market place in this area was underserved.”

Tony Hallwood, commercial and aviation development director at Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “This is a major boost which will continue the momentum and help to reverse the trend of job losses in the tourism and services sector.

“We will carry on improving the strength of the local economy and make sure Bradford and West Yorkshire is put firmly on the world map.”