May 8, 2009
Today sees the start of flights from Newcastle International Airport to Skiathos, Greece, with Thomas Cook Airlines.
Last December, Thomas Cook announced plans to place an additional aircraft at the region’s largest airport enabling it to offer new flights to Skiathos from today and Santorini, which start on 12th May. A dedicated route to Kefalonia also commenced on 3rd May.
The additional aircraft has given North East holidaymakers around 70,000 extra seats to sunny shores and created many jobs. To celebrate the inaugural flight, the airport and Thomas Cook have worked together to make sure all the newly employed cabin crew get off to a flying start. New starters Curtis Watson, 25, from Cramlington, and Rebecca Brown, 27, from Gateshead, who joined Thomas Cook Airlines at the end of March have both undertaken their specialist training and will be serving holidaymakers for the first time this summer.
Pete Constanti, CEO of Mainstream Travel at Thomas Cook, said: “We are very pleased to introduce a new aircraft and three new routes to our Newcastle programme. It is important to us to be able to give customers flexibility regarding holiday destinations, so they can have the holiday they desire. We now offer 29 locations from the airport, so there is plenty of choice from the region’s local airport.”
Leanne Kennedy, 19 from Seaton Deleval, and Michaela Patterson, 19 from Fenham, will join Curtis and Rebecca as the latest cabin crew recruits. These two new employees have recently graduated with diplomas in Air Cabin Crew from Newcastle’s Aviation Academy, based on the airport site. The course, run by Newcastle College, lasts one year. Twenty one students have graduated this year.
Leanne said of her new position, “I am really excited about my first flight out as a member of Thomas Cook Airlines’ cabin crew. I really enjoyed training at the Aviation Academy and we used to look out over Newcastle’s runway hoping we’d be working for one the airlines based there one day. It’s my dream job.”
Dave Laws, chief executive of Newcastle Airport said, “The additional Thomas Cook aircraft has not only enabled us to offer passengers even more variety for their summer getaway, but signals their confidence in this airport. Thomas Cook is now the largest package holiday operator out of Newcastle International.
“We are very proud of the collaboration between the airport, the Aviation Academy and our airlines to create job opportunities for people like Leanne and Michaela. It is great to see that job prospects still exist in this region for people who have been trained locally.”
Passengers on the first flight to Skiathos will also enjoy a unique Greek themed check-in experience to start their holiday in style. North East holidaymakers will pass through traditional Greek columns and be greeted by staff dressed in togas who will be handing out traditional Greek food and drink.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Picture caption: Thomas Cook’s new recruits at Newcastle Airport, (L-R, Leanne Kennedy, Michaela Patterson, Curtis Watson, Jayne Cavers, Rebecca Alexandra Brown)
Images are available from the event to celebrate the first Skiathos flight.
New flights with Thomas Cook are as follows:
Kefalonia
Route commencing 3rd May
Depart every Sunday
Time of departure: 1425
Skiathos
Route commencing 8th May
Depart every Friday
Time of departure: 0930
Santorini
Route commencing 12th May
Depart every Tuesday
Time of departure: 1330