Transatlantic flights coming to Leeds Bradford Airport

8:33am Friday 9th May 2008

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A JOURNEY from old York to New York will be that much easier from November.

Low-cost airline Jet2.com announced today that it is to launch the first-ever transatlantic flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport to The Big Apple.

They will be primarily package holidays from Yorkshire organised with Jet2holidays.com - four-day shopping trips which include accommodation from £699 per person.

Business travellers from Yorkshire will also be able to take advantage of the service without accommodation, but at a return fee of £579.98 including taxes.

That signals good news for First York's coach service, www.yorkaircoach.com which regularly ferries passengers between York and the airport.

The coach service has been given a huge boost with the announcement of eight new Jet2 routes to Europe, some of which have already begun.

The coach operator recently offered free travel for pensioners and others with national bus passes.

Jonathan Stewart, service delivery director for First York, said: "We welcome yet another new Jet2 route and York Air Coach is now the direct way to link into Leeds Bradford, next stop New York."

But the flights to Newark airport, will be an outbound service only - meaning that New Yorkers will not be able to take advantage of the service for package flights taking in York or elsewhere in Yorkshire.

That is disappointing to York's tourism chiefs who point out that only 26 per cent of the city's overseas visitors are from North America, where the proportion was 50 per cent eight years ago.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, the city's new tourism organisation, said: "Hopefully these holiday flights will be the first stage to eventually developing a New York to Leeds Bradford International flight.

"This is something we can discuss with Jet2 at one of our regular marketing meetings with them."

Travellers will need to book early for the new service, which is expected to quickly sell out.

Packages are immediately available through Jet2holidays.com and travellers can choose from a number of three to five-star hotel options for trips that will depart during November and December this year.

Richard Bodin, managing director at Jet2holidays.com, said: "This is an important announcement for us. We knew this destination was one that our customers have been calling for and we are proud and thrilled to be able to be the first holiday company in the region to offer this great deal to such an amazing city.

"We are launching with Christmas shopping breaks as our research suggested this was the one thing most people tend to recommend to friends as a must-do first experience, and something they tend to repeat."

Initially there will be four departures - but if successful more will be added.