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Big demand powers North-South air route
08 May 2007
More than 1,000 passengers have pre-booked seats on the new intra-Wales air service which will link the North and South of the country from today.
Highland Airways Commercial Director Basil O'Fee said: "Many people have already changed the way they think about their business and leisure journeys between these two diagonally opposite ends of Wales. Such a level of advance booking is very encouraging and supports the view that the service reflects the needs of the Welsh population."
Going against predictions from some quarters that the service would only be used by Government, the airline reports a wide cross-section of people have already decided to switch from cars to the twice-daily flights. While fares are capped at £50 including taxes/charges, the airline's decision to offer advance booking bargains from £15 one-way is considered to be a major factor in its early success.
The route opens up new business opportunities such as recent interest from a conference group in combining the service with the facilities of a local hotel in Anglesey. "This is exactly the sort of stimulated usage that all connected with the service are hoping for," commented Mr. O'Fee.
Highland Airways was selected by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide the service with a British-built 19-seat Bae Jetstream 31 turbo-prop pressurised aircraft. The flight from Anglesey will take less than one hour while Cardiff Airport is 25 minutes from the centre of the capital by road or rail. It has been estimated that 150 cars a day are currently travelling between the two regions with an unpredictable journey time in excess of four hours each way.
Said Mr. O'Fee: "Most travellers are expected to book online. The highlandairways.co.uk website has a useful Low Fare Finder feature, which permits browsers an overview of a month's pricing at one glance. The first flight was fully booked quite quickly, as many who have lobbied or yearned for this sort of development over the years wanted to be among the first to fly."
For those without access to a computer, bookings can also be made by calling 0870 777 0915 or through a local travel agent.
The flight will have cabin crew to increase the comfort of travellers, and both they and flight crew will be based at the Cardiff end. The service does not operate at the weekends, and the aircraft will therefore be available for private charter.
The company operates five of the sophisticated Jetstream 31s at present and has experience of passenger services in both Scotland and England. Highland Airways was established in 1991 and is based in Inverness.
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