Family get a holiday bonus as Newcastle Airport celebrates start of summer

The Kilty family from Penshaw with Richard Knight from Newcastle International Airport.

The summer season got underway this week with the launch of six new flights to four destinations – Enfidha in Tunisia, Bodrum in Turkey, Dubrovnik in Croatia and Halkidiki in Greece.

To mark the new connections, airport bosses gave the Kilty family from Penshaw £100 to spend in World Duty Free so they could kick-start their holidays in style.

On Tuesday, the airport welcomed the return of Enfidha to the programme, with Thomas Cook taking passengers to the North African holiday spot from Newcastle for the first time in almost three years.

A land filled with souks and spices, desert dunes and historical sites, Tunisia offers a good value destination for travellers from the North East.

Today saw another additional four new routes take-off.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays’ connection to Bodrum opens up the jewel on Turkey’s South Aegean coast, which is a perfect mix of old and new, with ancient castles, a stunning marina and sandy beaches.

TUI’s new flight to super-cool Dubrovnik gives travellers the opportunity to explore the beautiful Adriatic Coast, and both operators’ routes to family-friendly Halkidiki provide the perfect base for a Greek getaway this summer.

Bank Holiday Monday, May 7, will see Thomas Cook’s new route to Bodrum round off a week of inaugural routes for the region.

Richard Knight, chief operations officer at Newcastle International Airport, said: “There’s a real summer buzz about the airport at the moment, which is fantastic.

"As the season starts to get underway we see more and more people coming through the terminal, excited about heading off on their holidays and their excitement is contagious.

“The six new routes that have launched this week have proven to be very popular and show a particularly strong demand for mid-haul holidays.

"We’re delighted with the commitment shown to the region by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, Thomas Cook and TUI with the addition of these routes and are sure they’ll be firm favourites as the summer progresses.”