Nicholas Craig column
Sep 29 2006 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal
It's hard to keep up with airline news. After a bleak few weeks of cancelled flights, rigorous luggage restrictions and one airline packing up entirely from Durham Tees Valley, there appeared to be few silver linings for our airports or for budget flight fans like me.
This month, however, has been a revelation, with good news radiating across the regional airwaves.
Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports are to be eased from today, Jet2.com has just announced it is adding four new routes and 200 jobs to Newcastle International Airport, Ryanair is celebrating carrying half a million passengers from Durham Tees Valley and opening a new route to Barcelona from Newcastle, and a pot of public money called the Route Development Project could help to attract new airlines to fill the bmibaby gap.
Thank goodness. We are now used to a wide choice of destinations, courteous treatment and a pretty reliable service from the region's two airports. This summer has tested our loyalty and the stamina of hard-pressed service staff.
The series of cancellations threatened to put off customers. It seems, however, we are made of sterner stuff. Passenger traffic hardly blipped following August's chaos. EasyJet's 500 cancellations across the UK were less than one day's traffic on its network, and Ryanair's 265 to less than half a day.
Even Ryanair's moans about its £3m loss pale into insignificance compared with the £567m revenue it collected in the three months to June.
As an avid follower of budget flights I could not be happier. Flying into smaller airports favoured by these airlines suits me down to the ground. There are fewer queues, better time keeping and easier travel arrangements.
Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley's extensive menu of direct flights is enough to give us all the travel bug. Every age can experience a refreshing weekend break and not break the bank.
For one flight to Milan from Durham Tees Valley, our plane was the only one taking off that evening.
Once we were all counted in the pilot breezily said we might as well get underway, and we set off refreshingly early. It's hard to think of a similar experience by train, boat or bus.
Thousands of new visitors are finding their way to the North-East - many for the first time - because of budget airlines.
It's great news for retailers, hotels and the tourism industry.
It's even better for business long-term, freeing the region of its `peripheral' tag once and for all.
