Scotland is to gain some much-needed capacity following Jet2.com’s decision to establish a base at Glasgow airport.
Jet2holidays.com is poised to release a dedicated brochure in three to four weeks’ time offering Atol-protected packages from Glasgow and Edinburgh to 22 destinations around the Mediterranean, Egypt and the Canary Islands.
Jet2.com will commence flying from Glasgow to nine destinations on March 31, 2011, committing two aircraft to its eighth UK base.
The carrier already operates from Edinburgh to 15 destinations, only two of which will be duplicated from Glasgow. In total, Jet2.com will make 500,000 seats available from Scotland.
The company launched a Scottish TV advertising campaign on Wednesday, stressing the value of consumer financial protection on its package holidays.
Jet2holidays managing director Steve Heapy said: “It’s great news for the region. We are committed to maintaining a dedicated Scottish programme.”
He promised there would be fam trips for local agents. “We will be announcing some incentives to the trade and trips in the next few weeks,” said Heapy. “We are committed to working with travel agents in Scotland.”
The 132-page Scottish brochure will offer holidays from November 2010 to October 2011.
Heapy said the programme from Scotland could expand if there is demand, although there are no plans at the moment to do so.
Tickets are now on sale for flights from Glasgow to Nice, Alicante, Majorca, Faro, Tenerife, Dalaman, Paphos, Tunisia and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Jet2.com managing director Ian Doubtfire said: “There is a considerable gap in the market at Glasgow airport that we intend to fill.”