25/7/2002

bmibaby today announced that it will be serving six international and three domestic destinations when it launches services from Cardiff International Airport on 27 October 2002.

Domestic fares will start from just £18 one way, with international fares starting from £25 one way and are on sale from 10am today.

Two dedicated 737 bmibaby aircraft will operate a total of 112 flights a week to Alicante, Faro, Geneva, Jersey, Malaga, Milan (Bergamo), Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow, from October.

bmibaby will be the first airline ever to provide scheduled service links from Cardiff International Airport to Alicante, Faro, Geneva, Malaga and Milan (Bergamo) and will be reinstating the links to Edinburgh and Glasgow which are being abandoned by British Airways.

The launch of bmibaby services from Cardiff International will make the airline the airport's biggest operator with an additional one million passengers a year forecast to go through the airport.

Tony Davis, managing director, bmibaby said:

“I’m delighted to be here today to personally announce the routes and fantastic fares we are offering from Cardiff this winter. We have every confidence that our Cardiff operation will replicate the exceptional performance of bmibaby at East Midlands Airport. In the Midlands we had sold our entire sales forecast for 2002 within three months of the start of the operation, so I shall be looking for the people of Wales and beyond to match, if not better that achievement!

"It is perhaps not a well known fact that two thirds of passengers living in Wales fly from airports in England. I can assure you that bmibaby is committed to changing that fact, giving Wales its very own low cost airline.

“Indeed we have had a major boost already thanks to the Secretary of State for Transport. Alistair Darling very publicly recognised in his statement in The House of Commons yesterday, the importance of our new base here in Wales and the benefit the new air links to and from Wales will bring.

"We are also launching a recruitment drive* as bmibaby is looking for at least 30 local cabin crew to operate these flights. Flying as a member of cabin staff with a major low cost airline out of Cardiff International will be a popular career choice. It might even be an attractive proposition to experienced staff who are tired of having to go over the bridge and are looking for an easy route to work closer to home"

Customers wishing to book seats with bmibaby should log on to www.bmibaby.com or call 0870 264 2229 from 10am today.

People interested in cabin crew positions should send their CV’s to Ruth Bailey, bmibaby, Donington Hall, Castle Donington, Derby, East Midlands, DE74 2SB.

The new routes are as follows:

Alicante - daily
Belfast - twice a day, once on Saturday and Sunday
Edinburgh - twice a day, once on Saturday and Sunday
Glasgow - twice a day, once on Saturday and Sunday
Faro - four times a week
Jersey - twice a week
Malaga - five times a week
Milan (Bergamo) - once a week
Geneva - once a week

Source:	bmibay
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