Easyjet has announced it is to start flying from Doncaster's Robin Hood Airport - just days after quitting a rival airport. On Monday it said it would end flights from East Midlands Airport on January 5th to go to "more profitable" airports. The news comes as yet more passenger levels decrease at the airport.

Easyjet has now said that from April it will fly to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Faro, Palma and Prague from Robin Hood Airport. It will operate 21 departures a week, carrying about 300,000 people a year.

Neil Pakey, deputy chief executive of Robin Hood Airport owner Peel Airports, said: "There is a clear message in this that local people want to fly from their local airport and not have to trek to Heathrow or across the Pennines in needless car or train journeys. Regional airports are vital to the economic prosperity of city regions and we welcome Easyjet's massive multi million-pound investment into Doncaster and the Sheffield city region."

Paul Simmons, Easyjet's UK regional general manager, said: "By operating services from Doncaster Sheffield Airport, we can now tap in to the attractive Yorkshire catchment area. In addition, we are looking to develop the inbound market, highlighting Yorkshire as a destination to Europeans, helping to bring even greater investment to the local economy."

Robin Hood Airport bosses also welcomed one of the aircraft they hope will carry 300,000 passengers from the airport next year, with a watery guard of honour. Firefighters based at Robin Hood Airport, formed an arch of water kets for the easyJet aircraft to pass through, to welcome it the runway and the airport.

Thanks,
Staff at South Yorkshire Transport