Gib airport set for record summer

Gibraltar International Airport is expected to process a record number of passengers this summer.

Gibraltar International Airport will manage an additional 13 flights per week in the peak summer months, to bring the total of weekly services to 50, up from 37 in summer 2015.

The Gibraltar Government said this was due to new routes and increased frequency of flights on existing routes.

British Airways, easyJet and Monarch are all set to launch or have recently launched additional services.

New early morning British Airways departures from London Heathrow will operate on Mondays and Fridays as from March 28, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays as from May 3. These four new services increase the total of BA flights to London Heathrow to 13 per week.

Meanwhile, on July 3 easyJet will launch a new twice weekly service to Manchester on 3^rd July, flying on Wednesdays and Sundays.

From July 19 easyJet will also provide an additional two services to London Gatwick on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, offering a total of 13 services per week in the peak summer months. Services to Bristol, which started in April 2015, will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; but a larger A320 aircraft will operate on Sundays, offering an additional 48 seats per week.

Monarch Airlines will operate an additional weekly service from Birmingham. Furthermore, the regular schedule will change; Birmingham flights will no longer operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays instead. Sunday flights will continue as normal.

As from May 1, Monarch will offer a London Gatwick service. This will operate four times weekly, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Royal Air Maroc services will continue to operate on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights out of Gibraltar on Thursdays will, however, depart in the late evening.

Passenger numbers are expected to continue to rise, the Gibraltar Government said in a statement.

The number of seats on offer will grow by 40.8% per week from summer 2015. The number of weekly flights will increase by 35.1% compared to last summer.

Minister for Tourism, Samantha Sacramento, said: “I am delighted that Gibraltar will enjoy such a busy summer, bringing even more visitors to the Rock by air.”

“It is very encouraging to see our partner airlines placing their confidence in Gibraltar and increasing capacity substantially. Not only to core destinations, but also to regional departure points. The teams at the Gibraltar Tourist Board and Gibraltar International Airport continue to work hard to ensure that further growth continues and that passengers receive high standards of care.”

“Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar continues to develop its policy of sustained growth,” she said.