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Thomas Cook Airlines to increase capacity at Birmingham airport

Five new routes and increased capacity is being introduced by Thomas Cook Airlines from Birmingham airport.


The airline is to base an additional Airbus A320 at the airport next summer following plans for an extra A321 for winter 2016/17.


The fleet of five aircraft means the total capacity for the airport on Thomas Cook Airlines will be 2,000 seats a day next summer.


New weekly flights will operate to Naples, Faro and Malta in the summer with increased frequency to Lanzarote, Bourgas, Fueteventura, Ibiza, Larnaca, Mahon, Paphos and Zante.


Winter 2016 will see a new weekly services to Hurghada and Gran Canaria with more flights to Lanzarote, Gambia and Tenerife.


The expansion plans were unveiled to 150 Midlands agents who visited the airport to have an hour-long flight on one of 25 new A321s introduced by Thomas Cook Airlines.


The event included competitions for agents to win tickets to Gran Canaria and Naples.


Thomas Cook Airlines’ aviation director, James Burrows, said: “We know how popular these destinations are for the huge number of holidaymakers in the catchment area of Birmingham, and we believe that increasing our presence this coming winter and next summer will build our reputation as a quality leisure airline that focuses on its customers and offers great flying to great destinations.


“We’re investing heavily in our aircraft but also in those people on whom we rely to sell our seats.


“Building our relationship with the retail agent community, in partnership with the airport team, helps us get across how fantastic our new cabins and aircraft are to those experts on whom our customers rely for advice.”


The airport’s aviation development director, William Pearson, said: “Thomas Cook Airlines is an extremely popular airline with our passengers here in Birmingham, demand for seats is high.


“The announcement of an additional aircraft increasing the based fleet to five during the summer months is great news and shows the airline investing more resources into our airport to meet this growing demand.


“The five new routes, extra seats and additional frequencies during peak seasons is fantastic news as it will give our passengers greater choice and flexibility and will increase the airlines presence here at Birmingham airport.”

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