Flybe spread a little early festive cheer by taking 21 local children currently receiving treatment for cancer at the Bramble Ward of the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital on a specially chartered flight with Santa and key players from Exeter City Football Club’s First Team squad.

The excited group was welcomed by the football club’s popular mascot, Grecian the Lion, who was joined by Exeter’s ‘Build a Bear’ mascot, which store kindly donated bears not only to children on the Santa flight but also to others unable to attend in person.

Exeter City Football Club’s Director of Football, Steve Perryman, was joined by Grecian football heroes James Dunne, Scott Golbourne, Troy Archibald Henville, Richard Logan, Daniel Nardiello, David Noble, Jake Taylor and Steve Tully who were all on hand to make sure that, over and above Santa appearing and handing out presents, the 30-minute flight over and around Exeter and the local coastline was a truly memorable experience.

Flybe’s Director of Marketing, Simon Lilley said: “We would like to thank everyone who has pulled together so magnificently to support and make this flight possible for this very deserving group of brave young people. As proud long-term sponsors of Exeter City football, we really appreciate the support we receive from the Club for events like this and we are delighted that so many players took time out of their hectic schedule to make this Santa flight such a special one.”

CLIC Sargent Social Worker from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Heather Rake, said: “These children have to endure prolonged and harsh treatment, which disrupts the whole of their family life. To be able to give them a treat like this flight is fantastic and helps not just the children and families, but also the staff caring for them, by giving them something positive to focus on.”

Flybe’s 2011 Santa Flight from Exeter reflects similar flights the airline has undertaken in previous years for children from Inverness and Southampton.

Regional airports and airlines have renewed their call on the Chancellor to reduce Air Passenger Duty (APD) on flights from all UK airports outside of London. The move follows the Chancellor’s decision to reduce APD on long haul flights from Northern Ireland, in recognition of the harmful effect the tax was having on air services.

In a joint letter to the Chancellor, twelve airports and airlines called for urgent action to support the economic growth and development of the UK regions. The letter states:

“Regional airports and airlines have a lower percentage of business travellers or inbound tourists than the London airports, and have been hit hard by economic downturn. That’s not just bad news for our businesses. It’s bad for jobs, bad for inward investment and bad for wealth creation in the UK regions. If the Government is serious about truly rebalancing the economy, then decisive action is needed on behalf of the 86 million passengers that fly from our airports.”

Andrew Strong, Managing Director, Flybe UK said, “Flybe welcomes the Chancellor’s acknowledgement that air services from the UK’s regions are impacted by the high price of Air Passenger Duty (APD) and we look forward to the Treasury expanding these plans so that other lifeline regional routes, including domestic lifeline routes, may receive a differential rate of APD. It is nothing short of scandalous that domestic passengers should be hit not once but twice by this tax unlike overseas-bound travellers who only pay once.”

Air Passenger Duty was introduced in 1994 and doubled in 2007. Manchester Airport’s passenger traffic peaked in that year at 22 million passengers but since then the fall in the regions has been almost double the fall in London. London airports are down 9% on the 2007 peak (127m in 2010, down from 139m in 2007) while regional airports have felt a bigger impact, down 17% on the 2007 peak (86m in 2010, down from 103m in 2007).

Jonathan Bailey, External Affairs Director for the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: “We are delighted that the Chancellor has recognised the detrimental effect air passenger duty (APD) is having on UK aviation but disappointed that only Belfast’s plight has been noted. Action must be taken to address the disproportionate impact of APD in the regions outside London and the South East, as well as Northern Ireland. Every European country that has removed its equivalent of APD has duly felt the benefits and we are all aware of the difficult economic situation and how our economies need a boost. Aviation could provide it and we hope that the government will have the same foresight for other regions.”

Dave Laws, Chief Executive at Newcastle Airport, said: “If the Government can pull out all the stops to protect an air link serving Northern Ireland, then it can do the same for the North East. We have said before that APD should be abolished or reduced significantly across the whole country.

“Any differentiation based upon geographical criteria, which appears to be the case with the Northern Ireland proposal, would be unfair and possibly illegal under EU State Aid Regulations. Also, where would it end? Would Scotland and Wales also be successful in arguing special circumstances? A much fairer, and probably legal, approach would be to give all regional airports a stimulus by varying the rate of APD between congested and non-congested airports, thereby protecting the interests of all disadvantaged regions.”

Earlier this year, MAG, Newcastle Airport and Flybe were involved in the ‘Fair Tax on Flying’ campaign and joined an alliance of more than 25 airlines, airports, tour operators, destinations and trade associations who were uniting to call on the Government to make the system of aviation tax in the UK fairer. That helped to raise awareness of the current system amongst UK travellers and saw the issue of a regionalised system of tax being mentioned in the Treasury’s subsequent consultation on the current system.

To see a copy of the letter click here.

Exeter Airport is working with Devon and Cornwall Police Air Support Unit and Devon Air Ambulance on plans to relocate their facility, which is currently based at Police Headquarters Middlemoor, to the airport site.

The relocation of the police helicopter, which serves the force and the Devon based charitable ambulance operation, is expected to take place in early 2012.

The deal supports the needs of both the Police Force and the Ambulance Service and is part of the airport’s long term land management strategy to develop its property portfolio to the north side of the airfield. The plan also includes the development of land for operational use, air related industry and economic development to support local job creation.

Exeter Airport managing director Jamie Christon said: “The relocation of the Air Support Unit and Air Ambulance brings the helicopters back to the airport after a long spell of absence. We have worked hard with the Police Authority to facilitate the new operation here at the airport close to its current base.

“Additionally, the airport is working to secure its application to develop land owned and controlled by the company to the south east of the airport as part of the Local Development Framework.”

Devon and Cornwall Police commented: “We are committed to working in partnership with the Devon Air Ambulance Trust and Exeter Airport. The relocation of Devon and Cornwall Police Air Support and the Devon Air Ambulance to the airport enables efficiency opportunities at a time of considerable strain on police budgets. This change will enable us to continue to deliver an excellent level of service to the public by helping to provide an active and visible local policing presence through Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly”

Chief Executive of Devon Air Ambulance Trust, Helena Holt said: “Working in partnership with the Devon and Cornwall Police Air Support Unit has great benefits for both parties with regard to efficiencies and cost sharing. With the Force holding our operational license and providing maintenance and pilots, we have been fully involved with the relocation process throughout.

As the school holidays get underway Exeter Airport is stepping up a gear to deal with an anticipated 10,000 outbound passengers per week until September.

Seats on Friday’s flights to Menorca, Corfu, Dalaman, Alicante and Paris have all been fully sold and Saturday’s departures to Palma, Ibiza, Gran Canaria and Innsbruck are also booked up.

Devon’s inbound tourist traffic is also using the airport in greater numbers with a busy new Dusseldorf route and a series of special charter flights from Vienna starting in August bringing 180 visitors per week to the region.

Exeter Airport’s managing director Jamie Christon said: “We expect the summer holiday period to be very busy. Turkey and Bulgaria are proving very popular with holidaymakers who are looking for non-Euro value-for-money and we will welcome a new holiday company this weekend (Holidays4U) with an aircraft operating to Dalaman. This brings our flights to Turkey up to six per week.”

Flybe has announced that the first customer to sign a contract for use of the Dash-8 Q400 Full Flight Simulator at its new multi-million pound Training Academy in Exeter is Nigerian-based Arik Air.

The Flybe Training Academy was officially opened in April this year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Honourable George Osborne, MP and offers technical, pilot, cabin crew and customer service courses in addition to simulator training to regional airlines worldwide. The facility features 26 classrooms, an engineering workshop, and a flight simulator and cabin door trainer complex. In 2012 Flybe will receive delivery of a brand new E-Jet Full Flight Simulator.

Andrew Rosser, Director Flybe Training Academy, comments: “We are delighted that Arik Air has chosen us for their Q400 simulator training and we look forward to welcoming them to Exeter.”

Arik Air’s Director of Flight Operations, Captain Ado Sanusi said: “Training is an ongoing priority for us and this is why we collaborate with world class specialist training providers like Flybe. From pilots to cabin crew, from flight dispatchers to ground staff, Arik Air invests heavily in training and developing its core teams to focus on providing levels of service that win the airline the loyalty of its guests.”

After four years at Exeter Airport, the Managing Director Jamie Christon is leaving the company to further his career within another travel sector outside Devon.

Jamie, who will be leaving at the end of September, joined the company as Commercial Director and became Managing Director in January 2009 after one year as deputy MD, has lead the airport through a period of change and development. He will remain at the forefront of airport operations during the next few months and, in order to ensure business continuity into 2012 and beyond, he will be assisting the airport’s owner Regional and City Airports in appointing a successor.

John Spooner, Chairman of Exeter and Devon Airport Limited said: “I am grateful to Jamie for leading the airport through what have been difficult times within the aviation industry. His sound management has ensured the airport has remained commercially focussed and delivered growth, especially in the charter market over the last few years.”

Jamie Christon commented; “I have very much enjoyed working with the team at Exeter Airport. I am leaving the area when Exeter especially is developing into a first class city in which to live and work and I will be keeping a close interest in its future. I will be sad to leave Exeter, Devon and the airport and wish all I have worked with the very best of success.”

Exeter Airport will welcome more than two thousand Austrian passengers this year with the first of the series of flights starting on Saturday 28 May.

In a tourism initiative in conjunction with the tour operator GTA-SKY-WAYS and the airline NIKI, Exeter will be the gateway airport for a total of six inbound flights from Vienna and Salzburg.

Jamie Christon, Exeter Airport’s managing director said: “This year’s boost to tourism follows the success of the Austrian flights over the past two years which brought in a total one thousand visitors to the area. The passengers in 2009 and 2010 were primarily interested in Rosamund Pilcher as the TV programmes of her books were made in the region. The 2011 passengers will be on a series of escorted excursions which will take in a much larger area of the country and Exeter is playing a pivotal role in the holiday.”

The airline, Niki, founded by the three times Formula 1 champion Niki Lauda is a member of the Air Berlin group, will fly into Devon bringing one hundred and eighty Austrian tourists per flight on an eight day holiday starting and finishing in Exeter.

The itinerary offers a ‘discovery’ of Exeter and the Cathedral area before a tour of the south of England which includes Poole, Southampton, Stonehenge and Glastonbury. On the return to region the travellers visit Knights Hayes Court near Tiverton and experience a drive across Dartmoor to Plymouth. The visitors from Austria will see the tourist attractions of Lanhydrock House and The Lost Gardens of Heligan then visit Penzance, St.Michael’s Mount, Land’s End, St Ives and Polperro before returning to Exeter for their flight home.

Canadian Affair returns to Exeter Airport today, 18 May, with flights to Toronto.

Flights operate weekly (Wednesdays) until the end of September using wide-bodied Airbus A310 aircraft Air Transat aircraft

This is the 18th year that Air Transat has been operating Exeter to Toronto flights and the 23rd year that the flights have been offered from Exeter.

Jamie Christon, Exeter Airport’s Managing Director said: “We estimate that over 225,000 passengers have used the route established back in 1988 and the flights are still proving incredibly popular as the alternative departure point for South West passengers would be Birmingham or London.

“We have regular flyers who visit family and friends but the route also opens up a wealth of holiday possibilities. Toronto is a vibrant city destination but it is an ideal gateway for the province of Ontario, and other parts of Canada.”

Flybe has celebrated the official opening of its multi-million pound Training Academy at Exeter International Airport by The Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim French and Training Academy Director Andrew Rosser welcomed the Chancellor on his arrival. Guests also included representatives from Flybe’s academic partners, Exeter University and Exeter College.

The state-of-the art building, costing £11.9-million to construct is designed to BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent specifications. It features 26 classrooms and incorporates a flight simulator complex, an integrated apprentice workshop and cabin door trainer, all of which contribute to increasing the wide range of training opportunities available to third party customers.

On unveiling the commemorative plaque, The Chancellor said: ”It’s a great honour to come here today and to see this fantastic facility. I know what a success story Flybe is and it’s great to see a big company investing in the future and working with local education establishments. Think about what Britain needs….Britain needs more people to study engineering. Congratulations for what you have achieved here.”

The armed forces charity Help for Heroes has benefited from Exeter Airport’s Colossal Cake Sale event at the weekend when £1,350 was raised.

Members of airport staff were asked support the airport’s adopted charity for 2011 on the 1st and 2nd April, by making and buying cakes for the event and assisting with the running of the event at the tables.

In return for a donation to the charity; coffee or tea was served along with a choice of cakes, from muffins and cup cakes to sponges and fruit cakes.

Chris Beer, Exeter Airport’s manager responsible for charity fundraising said: “The two days fund-raising proved to be a fantastic success. At one stage before the event my office was completely full of boxes and tins of treats made to wonderful standard. The enthusiasm and the baking talent within our workforce was outstanding.

“I have also never seen so much staff and passenger generosity before, with £20 notes being put in to the buckets in return for the smallest cakes.”