Humberside Airport’s new flight to Esbjerg has launched with a fanfare from the industry it is set to serve and a warm Scandinavian welcome.
The inaugural Eastern Airways service between the two key offshore wind hubs in the UK and Denmark saw leading figures from the sector welcomed on board and a civic reception on touchdown. And the vitality of the North Sea they crossed, described as the largest green power station in Europe, was toasted.
Jesper Frost Rasmussen, Mayor of Esbjerg, made the comment in his address, as a clean future was embraced building on a strong history.
Read more: Business leaders welcome direct route to Esbjerg
Outlining the strong commitments in offshore wind across both regions to develop further and faster, he said: “The Humber and Esbjerg have had a close relationship for a long time. The city was founded in 1868 and in 1875 Danish shipping company DFDS opened the first UK shipping route from the port. It still operates daily for freight services to the Humber region at the Port of Immingham.
“The North Sea is the lifeline between the two and will continue to be for years to come. Primarily it has been the waves that brought us closer together, now we share the wind.”
He highlighted the Humber’s role with world-leading Hornsea One and now Hornsea Two headlining, and told how 59 offshore wind farms featuring 4,200 turbines had now passed over his city’s quaysides.
“Improving connections around the North Sea is key to flourishing construction, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms,” he said. “Engineers, technicians and the like need to travel quickly and directly and this new route will help us do this. The need to travel between regions will continue to grow in the coming years.”
Three weekly return flights will operate, with Eastern outlining how it is willing to adapt to industry needs as the route establishes itself, having announced the launch last month.
Roger Hage, Eastern’s commercial director, said: “We are always looking to do something innovative, and that’s what this is about. The Energy Estuary, as the Humber is known, is sitting there and very vibrant, but with no direct service between areas that are two champions of the industry. There was a lot of noise about wanting it, struggles with Amsterdam connections, so we felt we had to do something.
“It is another step in trying to develop connectivity between the Humber and key European regions, we’re trying to aid employment and the commercial prosperity of the estuary as a whole.”
Potential for further hops to other Danish cities could also be bolted on, with Mr Hage underlining the advantage of being a nimble operator. Tourism is also another factor, with the original Legoland within an hour of Esbjerg.
Deborah Zost, managing director of Humberside Airport, joined the flight, with a warm welcome from her Danish counterpart, Susanne Sorensen.
Underlining the particular relevance for the energy sector, she said: ”People are paramount to the businesses needs, and I feel there has never been a better time for this new route. “Denmark has been top of the list when I speak to businesses about where they want to travel to.”
Grimsby MP Lia Nici was also on board, bringing civic representation alongside North Lincolnshire Council deputy leader Richard Hannigan. She said: “I think it is really exciting that we have this new service. We know we have lots of links to Denmark, it is very important to us, and it gives a much shorter timescale for businesses to come back and forward. I hope it is really successful, because it links two really important hubs for green energy, as well as opening up Norway and Germany, two countries that are also very important.”
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