Airport under a cloud as sunspots disappear
BUDGET airline Flyglobespan has confirmed it is pulling out of Durham Tees Valley airport due to “challenging economic conditions”, despite reports that the Scottish-based group is heading back into the black for the first time in two years.
Chairman Tom Dalrymple said last week that the Globespan Group would record a profit of £1.2m for the year to October 31, 2008, following losses of more than £10m in 2006-7. Its return to profitability was aided by strong load factors in the summer months and revenues from leasing out planes and crews during the quieter season, but that failed to save its DTV service to three Spanish holiday destinations - Alicante, Malaga and Tenerife - from being axed last night.
In a statement, the airline said: “We make this decision with great sadness as we have spent two years building up a customer base at Durham Tees Valley. However, in today’s economic climate, we have to ensure our assets are deployed in the most viable manner.
“We retain a positive relationship with the airport authorities and will keep a dialogue going with them.”
The loss of the three popular sunshine destinations from DTV’s route schedule will be a severe blow to its plan to grow the terminal to three million passengers over the next six years. In recent months, it has also seen Thomson axe its Alicante route and Wizz Air pull its Warsaw service just weeks after launch. Bmi, which operates a shuttle to Heathrow has also downsized its service.
