Inverness Airport announces new Flybe Inverness to Amsterdam route
Inverness Airport and Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline and the UK’s Number One Domestic carrier, today (Monday, May 16, 2011) announced the launch of a new Flybe service to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. The new route, which will bolster Inverness as the Highland gateway for worldwide travel, will be taking bookings as of tomorrow, for the inaugural flight on Monday, September 5th, 2011.
The Inverness to Schiphol service will provide seven flights per week during the summer months and six per week during the winter months. Services will depart Inverness Monday to Friday and Sunday from September 5th, 2011 – 23rd March 2012 at 13.05hrs, arriving at Amsterdam at 16.05hrs. Return flights from Amsterdam will depart at 16.30hrs, arriving in Inverness at 17.30hrs. The schedule for Summer ’12 will be released in September (2011).
This announcement is a direct result of discussions between Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL),and Flybe with collaborative support and key funding from Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE). Support funding also has also been contributed by the Highland Council, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) and VisitScotland.
The Highland Council has warmly welcomed news that Flybe are to introduce a daily air service between Inverness and Amsterdam from September of this year.
Councillor Ian Ross, Chairman of the Planning Environment and Development Committee, said: “This is a significant boost for the Highlands. A daily air service to one of Europe’s hub airports, offering connections with inter-continental flights, is excellent news. It will retain and attract inward investment and tourists as well as enabling local businesses to make connections more easily and increase exports.”
Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee, added: “This is a hugely important new air link for Highland travellers and adds significantly to the growing stature of Inverness Airport as a transport hub.”
The Council has contributed £30,000 towards the marketing costs of the new service as part of a public funding package put together by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Hi-Trans.
Inglis Lyon, Managing Director of HIAL comments, “Securing a link to Europe’s premier hub airport has been a long held aspiration of HIAL and the region and I’m delighted to announce this today. The proposed multi-billion investments in renewables, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) developments and the thriving tourism markets gives this route even greater strategic significance.”
Mike Rutter, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, says: “Flybe understands the importance of air transport for Inverness and the Highlands. We have been keen to open up this route for many years and so are pleased that with the support of our regional partners this has now come to fruition. We have every confidence that this new route will prove extremely successful in opening up the rest of the world through this key European hub and to further encourage business and leisure connections between these two destinations to Scottish travellers.”