Thomas Cook Airlines operated its inaugural flight to Antigua from Manchester today with Coronation Street and I’m a Celebrity star Anthony Cotton there to wave it off.
The first Antigua flight comes hot on the heals of the start of Cook’s new Manchester route to Saint Lucia and Barbados.
A cake was cut to mark the ocassion by soap actor Cotton who was invited to represent the Thomas Cook Children’s Charity.
Christoph Debus, chief executive of Thomas Cook Airlines UK said: “Today saw yet again another full flight to the Caribbean, with our new A330 aircraft starting our second weekly flight taking our customers to the beautiful island of Antigua.
“Our new route to Antigua is yet again great news as we continue to develop Manchester Airport as our long haul hub and is another step as we aim to become the best sun and beach leisure airline.”
Cherrie Osborne, director of tourism for UK and Europe, Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority added:
“We are thrilled that Thomas Cook has decided to launch a service from Manchester to our beautiful islands, making our destination more accessible to holiday makers in the North of the UK.
“With temperatures averaging 27°C this is the ideal time of the year to visit and indulge in Antigua and Barbuda’s natural beauty, vibrant culture and stunning beaches.”
Stephen Turner, aviation commercial director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: “We were delighted to see Thomas Cook’s inaugural flight to Antigua depart today, the demand for direct flights to the Caribbean from the North of England is incredibly strong at the moment.
“This new route means we are the only other airport outside of London to offer a direct service to St Lucia and Antigua. This highlights our continued dedication to offer passengers a wealth of routes locally, without having to travel further afield to congested Southern airports.”