Travel agents are “buzzing” with excitement following news Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will offer flights from Bournemouth.
The airport will be Jet2’s 12th UK base, offering 16 European destinations. Jet2 will operate up to 27 weekly flights next summer, with two aircraft carrying an estimated 150,000 customers. Fuerteventura and Madeira are exclusive to Jet2 from the airport.
The “significant” expansion follows “years of demand” from customers and agents across the south of England, including Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth, according to Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy.
More:Jet2 to set up 12th UK base at Bournemouth airport
Jet2’s trade team has already begun meeting new and existing agent partners in the region. Speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast, Heapy said: “We’ve had a lot of demand from agents we know already. There’s a lot of potential here. If you look at the map of the UK and our 11 bases currently, the south of England is certainly a gap.”
Agents in the Bournemouth area immediately welcomed Jet2’s arrival, particularly the two new routes, claiming it would boost customer choice and sales, and lead to keener prices. The airport is currently served by airlines including Tui, easyJet and Ryanair.
Hays Travel’s Dorset regional sales manager Clive Hills said: “We have close to 50 branches in the local catchment area. The Dorset and Hampshire branches are absolutely buzzing at this news.”
He added: “We’re particularly excited about the routes from Bournemouth which offer customers increased choice, such as Fuerteventura and Madeira.”
More: Jet2 anticipates ‘strong market’ after rate of inflation falls
Hays Travel is now planning Jet2 training updates for staff.
Fred Olsen Travel retail director Paul Hardwick hailed Jet2’s announcement “fantastic” for its six Dorset and Hampshire stores and its Travel Bournemouth Airport brand.
He said: “There is a bit of a swing back to regional flying; people want that convenience, plus Bournemouth is an easy airport to navigate.”
He predicted a substantial increase in Jet2’s sales via the group’s shops. “We sell a handful of Jet2 out of our six stores at the moment so this will make a massive difference,” he said.
Jo Watts, director of Holidaze, based behind Bournemouth airport, said: “This is really exciting. I already have clients asking for both of the exclusive routes. We’ll be posting on social media and direct-mailing clients.”
She added: “This could also impact pricing because it will be extra competition out of Bournemouth.”
Spear Travels Blandford, a 40-minute drive from Bournemouth airport, offered free fast-track passes for the first 1,000 Jet2 bookings and created a dedicated window display on hearing the news.
Manager Jed Wakefield-Coombes said: “Bournemouth is customers’ preferred airport. We’ve been asking Jet2 for years to come to Bournemouth; we should definitely sell a lot more now.”
Hannah Vincent, director at Select World Travel, Poole, said: “We welcome this, especially different destinations. Other airlines may need to think about their prices [now].”
Steve Witt, co-founder of Bournemouth-based Not Just Travel, said: “Every agent we have will benefit from this. It will [also] strengthen the local airport and hopefully attract even more routes and airlines.”
Heapy hinted Jet2 would increase capacity in future. “You look at our track record in all the bases we’ve launched…we’ve not stuck with our initial number of aircraft; we’ve grown,” he said.
Asked about further expansion in the south, he said Jet2 was “very happy” with its 12 bases, and expected to attract some passengers who normally fly out of Gatwick.