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Egypt Holidays > Travel News > Low cost airline drops new service to Egypt
Low cost airline drops new service to Egypt | | 11th November 2008 |
Scottish low-cost airline flyglobespan is dropping another international route from Aberdeen, it emerged yesterday.
A weekly service to the resort of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt was due to start on Wednesday, December 17, but has now been dropped due to lack of demand. It is understood that only around 200 seats had been sold.
The move means that flyglobespan has chopped three Aberdeen services in the last three months – the others being Barcelona and Lanzarote.
A spokesman for the airline said: “We are sorry that Aberdeen travellers couldn't support this Egyptian route in the manner that they have booked our other destinations. But, in today's financial climate, we can't sustain a loss-making service and, with regret, we have had to withdraw it.”
He added that flyglobespan was now offering a full refund to people who had made bookings, or seats on the Edinburgh service to Sharm el Sheikh.
One disappointed customer is Aberdeen sales manager Cara Beamish, who was planning to use the Aberdeen service to fly out to Egypt during the festive season.
She said: “I only booked it on Thursday night and it is a shame that the route has been axed.
“Flying from Aberdeen would have been much more convenient than Edinburgh, but I will still go. I booked the hotel out there separately and don't want to lose the money paid for that.”
A spokesman for Aberdeen Airport said: “It is disappointing when a new service is discontinued.
“It is no secret that airlines are facing extremely challenging times around the world and they simply cannot afford to fly to destinations with few passengers on board.
“That being said, flyglobespan's recently-announced winter service to Gran Canaria will be going ahead and we understand the airline's new summer services to Dalaman in Turkey and Ibiza next year are also proving very popular.
“At a time when airlines and airports are having to cope with the pressure of the global credit crunch and a reduction in the number of passengers flying, Aberdeen Airport has welcomed a number of new destination announcements, signalling a firm commitment to this city and this region from our airlines partners.”
The flyglobespan spokes-man confirmed that seats on the Ibiza and Dalaman routes were selling well.
The new weekly winter service to Gran Canaria starts on Monday, December 22. Bookings are said to be “encouraging”.
The airline spokesman added that its other Aberdeen routes were going well and that flyglobespan was “very pleased” with the Granite City operation.
It was September when the airline announced new services from the Granite City to Sharm el Sheikh, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
However, only days later, the Lanzarote route was scrapped after the airline announced it was taking over weekly flights to Tenerife for travel group Thomas Cook.
That same month, flyglobespan said it was dropping the route from Aberdeen to Barcelona. |
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