Three South West airports have announced expansions to their operations with holiday firm Tui.
Bournemouth Airport said the operator will base a second aircraft at the Dorset transport hub, with 60,000 extra seats provided on its growing flight schedule, which includes a new route to Tunisia.
The move mean’s Tui’s capacity at Bournemouth Airport is up by a third compared to last year, and comes after airline RyanAir added another plane to its fleet at the airport last year. Bournemouth Airport’s managing director Steve Gill described the expansion as “fantastic news” for the airport and the local economy.
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Meanwhile, Tui has also unveiled an expanded programme from Bristol Airport, including a new link to the Cape Verde island of Boa Vista, and has bought its weekly flight count at Exeter Airport to 20, covering five regions and making the German travel agency the largest operator at the Devon airport.
Stephen Wilshire, managing director of Exeter Airport, said: “This is a major milestone for us, and we are excited to offer more flights and destinations to our passengers. It provides greater choice and flexibility, and the additional seats and flights are testament to the growth of Exeter Airport and the demand for more travel options.”
Bristol Airport’s chief executive Dave Lees, added: “These new flights show the positive momentum offering extended choice of destinations and stay lengths for customers. The increased capacity for next year builds on the strong growth we are experiencing with TUI from Bristol Airport .
“The programme provides even more choice for customers when using their local airport to travel to a variety of exciting destinations, and enjoy the extensive cruise programme available from Marella Cruises. We look forward to working with TUI on future route opportunities.”
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