South West business leaders have welcomed a new air link between Exeter Airport and North America saying it will be a boost to overseas trading.
Aer Lingus is launching the service in April 2022 with flights from Exeter to New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington and Toronto, via its Dublin hub. It means passengers can board a flight in Exeter at 9.15am and be in New York in time for dinner the same day.
Exeter departures are timed to connect seamlessly with transatlantic flights from Dublin and include through-ticketing, baggage transfer and pre-clearance of all US immigration and customs inspections at Dublin Airport, prior to departure.
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Dublin Airport is one of only a few airports outside North America that offers a US pre-clearance facility. The benefit is that passengers arriving in the US are treated as domestic arrivals, allowing them to avoid immigration queues and pick up their bags and go.
Tim Jones, chair of the South West Business Council, said: “There is growing anticipation in the region’s business community about the start of these new flights because they will make connections to the USA and Canada fast and efficient, without having to travel to a London Airport.”
John Hart, Tory leader of Devon County Council, said: “It’s vital we drive economic growth as we emerge from the pandemic. These new links to North America will benefit local businesses, make Devon more accessible to global investors and inbound tourists, and will be widely welcomed.”
Also backing the new routes is Clive’s Purely Plants, the Dartmouth-based producer of organic, 100% vegan plant-based pies which it sells nationwide through Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado, and is now exporting to Australia, Dubai and the US.
Managing director Esther Pearson said: “We are seeing growing demand for our plant-based products at home and overseas, and Exeter Airport is a vital commercial link for Devon businesses. We’re building new relationships in the US and there are certain things you just can’t do virtually. So when we do need to fly, Exeter Airport gives us a convenient option that avoids additional travel by road.”
The flights have also been welcomed by international technology developer Plessey, in Plymouth. It is at the forefront of microLED development for the next generation of augmented and mixed reality displays, wearables and other consumer electronics, and counts Meta among its partners.
Chris Bailey, finance director at Plessey, said: “We operate in a global market and North America is very important to us. Anything that can boost business connectivity from our region has got to be welcome, and these new flights offer quick and easy transatlantic access.”
Quicke’s, makers of award-winning cloth-bound cheeses and based just a few miles from Exeter Airport, is another South West business looking forward to the new service, having launched its Quicke’s Cheese Hampers online in the US in November 2021.
Mary Quicke, the 14th generation of the Quicke family to run the business, said: “For many Westcountry businesses this new link via Dublin will be an important alternative to Gatwick or Heathrow and it’s certainly something we’ll be exploring for our own travel needs as we grow the American market for our artisan cheeses.”
Stephen Wiltshire, managing director of Exeter Airport, said: “Aer Lingus is a major transatlantic carrier via its Dublin base and being able to link seamlessly into that network through Exeter Airport is a real benefit to business and leisure passengers across the region.”
Exeter Airport is reporting strong pent-up demand for flights as pandemic restrictions continue to be eased and recently launched a recruitment drive for 30 staff as it gears up for the season ahead.
