bmibaby Prepares For Jump into Ski Market

Posted 12 December 2011 07:08

UK low-cost carrier is making final preparations for the launch of its new flights into France from East Midlands Airport with the launch of new services to Chambery from December 16 and Toulouse from 23. Both flights are predominantly aimed at the leisure market and their launch will coincide with the start of the ski and snowboard season.

The airline will offer two flights per week to Chambery, a popular gateway to the French Alps, and up to two weekly frequencies to Toulouse, which offers access to the Pyrenees mountain range. It expects to carry around 15,000 on these two routes during the winter season.

“We are delighted to be launching flights to Chambery and Toulouse from East Midlands Airport. As the gateways to the best French ski resorts both in the Alps and the Pyrenees, the new routes will enhance our appeal to skiers and snowboarders,” said Julian Carr, Managing Director, bmibaby.

Thomson Airways also serves Chambery on a seasonal basis from East Midlands but there are no current flights to Toulouse. bmibaby is currently the second largest operator at the airport with 38.7 per cent share of the weekly capacity this month (it actually offers more flights than the market leader, Ryanair, but the Irish budget carrier’s operates larger Boeing 737 variants). It has already announced plans to expand from its home airport with year-round flights to Gibraltar and new seasonal links to Catania, Corfu, Murcia, and Naples next summer.