| The routes will be operated by flywhoosh.com, a company formed to operate in the UK by Poland’s largest privately owned airline, White Eagle Airlines.
WEA operates holiday charters to European and North African destinations and a variety of scheduled European routes using Boeing 737 and ATR 42 aircraft.
The service from Dundee will use the 46-seater ATR, with Polish crews, and will fly to Birmingham twice daily, Monday to Friday, with a single middle of the day rotation to Belfast. There will be a single flight to each destination on Sundays.
It is understood the airline views the new routes from Dundee as a toehold in the British market, and if successful, they will look at expanding their network.
UK Commercial Director Aden Murcutt explained there is an increasing frustration in passengers who have to face a long drive followed by a long wait at a large airport to fly for 50 minutes to get to Birmingham for a meeting.
“We are the new local solution to a national problem. Busy roads and long waits are not good for business.
“Dundee Airport fits very well into our route plan and we intend to ensure people in this region have no reason to even consider the drive to Edinburgh when we can serve them locally.”
Birmingham/Dundee has long been identified as a potentially profitable route after viability studies and business plans prepared by consultants employed by Dundee City Council in the 1990s.
Several airlines had considered the route and at least once there were hopes the service could be started only for the airline to turn its attention elsewhere.
The current package began to take shape last autumn with interests in Birmingham bringing all the elements together over the past eight months.
It is understood that assistance from the Scottish Executive’s route development fund was successfully applied for to assist the start-up.
First flight of the day will leave Dundee at 7.10am, arriving at Birmingham at 8.35.
The return will depart at 9.35 and arrive in Dundee at 10.30.
Evening rotations will depart from Dundee at 15.55, arriving in Birmingham at 17.20, with the return leaving at 17.50 and arriving in Dundee at 19.15.
The Belfast service will leave Dundee at 1320, arriving 14.10, with the return departing 14.40, and arriving 15.30 at Dundee. |
