Exeter Airport gears up for a busy festive period

Final arrangements are being made at Exeter Airport to handle passengers over the Festive period when fifteen thousand people are expected to use the airport.

Several flights are departing on Saturday to airports in the Alps for winter sports enthusiasts and although bookings to Geneva, Chambery and Salzburg have been filling up since the snowfall, there is still some availability with Flybe, Crystal and Inghams for those who want to spend New Year in the snow.

A flight to Alicante, also with Flybe, departs on Saturday and winter sun seekers are also off on Sunday’s fully booked Thomson aircraft to Lanzarote where the temperatures have recently been 23 degrees.

A handful of seats are available to Gran Canaria on Christmas Eve and to Tenerife on 25 December with passengers scheduled to arrive in time for Christmas lunch. Many of this Thursday’s passengers to Sharm el Sheikh will stay for two weeks and see in 2013 alongside the Red Sea but there are still some seats on the 27 December flight for those who wish to join them.

Matt Roach, Exeter Airport’s managing director said: “This is a very busy week for the airport. As well as the winter sun and ski routes we are gearing up for passengers on the domestic flights travelling both from and into the region.

“There is a huge increase in the family and friends market at this time of the year on services to Scotland, Newcastle, Norwich and Manchester.

“Also with the continuing development of Flybe’s Manchester hub there is an ever growing range of exotic destinations available to passengers travelling from Exeter, not just over the Christmas period but into the New Year as well.”