Jet2.com is expanding its operations from Manchester Airport for summer 2011 with the launch of the airport’s – and airline’s – first route to Brive (Dordogne).

The announcement of the new Brive flights marks Jet2.com’s 34th destination out of Manchester Airport and the airline’s 54th destination overall.

Summer 2011 will also see the launch of two brand new sunshine routes from the airport – Larnaca and Paphos in Cyprus which will be served by both Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.

The flights to Brive will operate twice a week from May to September. Flights to Paphos will depart twice weekly throughout the summer, commencing 6 April, with the Larnaca service departing every Saturday from 14 May.

In addition the new services, Jet2.com will be adding extra flights to Venice, Pisa, Nice, Palma, Murcia, Malaga, Funchal and Monastir.

Flights to Venice will increase from four to six flights per week, Nice from five to six flights per week with additional flights to Majorca on Saturdays and Murcia on Sundays. There will also now be a daily service offered to Malaga, five flights a week to Pisa and flights to both Funchal and Monastir will increase from once to twice a week.

For Manchester airport hotels or to compare and book Manchester airport parkingusing an online instant airport parking price checker click on the link.

The first A380 Airbus is due to land at Manchester Airport tomorrow, 1 September.

The Emirates ‘Super Jumbo’, a double-decker, 517-seat aircraft, is set to touch down at 12:25pm marking the first flight of its daily service between Manchester and Dubai.

Thousands are expected to witness the first arrival of the aircraft and Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor Park will open at 8:00am in order to accommodate the expected crowds. Visitors arriving on foot or on public transport will be able to enter the Park for free, as always. Entry for cars must be by pre-booked ticket only, at £12.00 per car with up to five occupants. Tickets will be valid until 4:00pm – enabling spectators to watch the A380’s departure at around 3:30pm.

Andrew Cornish, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the A380 arrive and I put it on a par with the last flight of Concorde to Manchester. We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of people to the airport to be a part of this historic event, especially in the school holidays and with the Park being voted one of the top tourist attractions for the North West. There will be plenty of opportunities to come see the A380 as from 1st September onward it will be operating a daily service into Manchester, but this is a really significant day for aviation here in the North West and we aim to celebrate it appropriately.”

For Manchester airport hotels or to compare and book Manchester airport parking using an online instant airport parking price checker click on the link.

In an attempt to stop the Government from further increasing the Air Passenger Duty (APD) this November, ABTA is calling on travellers to write to their MPs.

APD, which currently raises £2 billion for the Government, was introduced in 1994 and has seen several increases since.

Prior to 1 November 2009, 

fees were set at Reduced Rates (economy seats)
£10 for European destinations and £40 for all other destinations. Standard Rates (premium seats, including business class only airlines)
 were £20 for European destinations and
 £80 for all other destinations. On 1 November 2009, four geographical bands were introduced based on the distance from London.

The 2009 APD duty applicable for a single flight was levied at:

• Band A – flights to Europe £11
• Band B – flights of up to 4,000 miles £45
• Band C – flights to the Caribbean £50
• Band D – flights to Australia and New Zealand £60
• For Premium seats the charges are double.

A further increase is set to be introduced this November with the fees increasing to:

• Band A – flights to Europe £12
• Band B – flights of up to 4,000 miles £60
• Band C – flights to the Caribbean £75
• Band D – flights to Australia and New Zealand £85

For Premium seats the charges are double at:

• Band A – flights to Europe £24
• Band B – flights of up to 4,000 miles £120
• Band C – flights to the Caribbean £150
• Band D – flights to Australia and New Zealand £170

In 2009 the Telegraph launched a campaign to get the APD scrapped. To find out more, and to add your name to their petition click here.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has officially certified Manchester Airport as ‘A380 ready’.

The airport, which will see the first Emirates A380 touch down on 1 September, is one of only 17 global airports to be A380 certified, and the first regional airport in the world to receive a regular A380 service.

Over the past 18 months, the airport has spent more than £10 million upgrading its airfield to the required standards to accept A380 flights. Improvements include reconstructing a new aircraft stand and an advance docking system, which guides the pilot onto the stand and into the correct position for the unique double airbridge to connect.

The ‘A380 ready’ status means Manchester airport is now a ‘Category 10’ airport and, in addition to the A380, can accept other ‘Code F’ aircraft such as some of the larger freighter aircraft that are operating around the world.

For Manchester airport hotels or to compare and book Manchester airport parkingusing an online instant airport parking price checker click on the link.

In a statement on its website, BALPA (the British Airline Pilot’s Association) has confirmed that it has asked to meet the management of Virgin Atlantic today, 24 August, for ‘last ditch’ talks to avoid confrontation between the airline and its pilots.

On its website BALPA states “the dispute is over the way the company is denying pilots their entitlement to a minimum number of rostered days off which are allowed for in an agreement the pilots have with the airline. These 120 rostered days off per year are the equivalent of an office worker’s weekends and bank holidays but without the same predictability.”

Jim McAuslan, General Secretary of BALPA, said: ‘BALPA always does what it can to assist airlines through downturns, as many airlines will testify, and we did this with Virgin during these past difficult years. To now find that the company is breaching an agreement and denying many pilots their entitlement to the equivalent of a weekend off is a real slap in the face and one which we cannot accept.

‘We call on the company to pick up our offer of talks and to find a way through’

Fly to the Hajj from Leeds Bradford, Manchester and East Midlands with Jet2.com’s specialist pilgrimage service

Following overwhelming demand, Jet2.com has increased its dedicated service for pilgrims taking part in this year’s annual Hajj, with the announcement of specialist departures from Leeds Bradford, Manchester and East Midlands airports from 1st November 2010.

The flights represent a significant increase in dedicated departures from the Midlands and North of England to the Hajj, and are the only direct services available from Leeds Bradford and East Midlands.

Working in partnership with travel agents Sky-Fly Connections Ltd in Bradford and PAK Travels Ltd in Birmingham, the specialist Jet2.com programme is set to carry over 2,000 passengers to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to take part in the annual Hajj, the world’s largest annual pilgrimage.

Jet2.com will be operating a total of 10 return trips – four from Leeds Bradford, four from Manchester and two from East Midlands, representing a 300% increase on last year’s hugely successful service, which saw three flights leave from Leeds.

Furthermore, Jet2.com will respect Muslim tradition by ensuring that all catering adheres to Halal methods, there is no alcohol served and aircraft crew are sensitive to the practice of prayer whilst in flight. Prayer facilities will also be available in the airport terminal prior to departure. Jet2.com will also be increasing its baggage allowance of 22kg for pilgrims to bring back the important Zam Zam holy water.

To book Leeds airport parking using an instant, online price checker or to book accommodation at  Leeds airport hotels click on the links.

Ryanair has announced its peak-season baggage charges are to return to €15 per bag and €25 for heavy bags for travel from 1 September, however, passengers travelling on international routes to and from the Canary Islands will still have to pay the peak-season charges – €20 per bag and €30 heavy bag – these higher charges will apply all year round.

The airline introduced higher baggage charges for flights during July and August this year with the ’sweetner’ of allowing passengers to check in two bags, subject to charges, of course.

The CAA is once again highlighting the need for passengers to be aware of items that are banned from being carried on a plane after a man was convicted of attempting to take dangerous chemicals on to an aircraft at Manchester Airport last year.

The man was found guilty of ‘recklessly acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft’ after he pleaded guilty to attempting to take corrosive and flammable chemicals on to a plane.

Geoff Leach, Manager of the CAA’s Dangerous Goods Office, said: “Unlike items restricted for reasons of security (eg knives and scissors) which may be carried safely in checked (hold) baggage, “dangerous goods” such as the chemicals involved in this instance can pose the same danger to the aircraft and its occupants wherever they are carried and consequently must not be carried by passengers at all.

“It is vital that passengers check the list of permitted items well in advance of travel to determine whether any unusual items they wish to carry are allowed. Unfortunately, incidents like this cause delays and disruption to the travelling public as well as endangering the safety of passengers and staff at UK airports throughout the year. “

Dangerous goods that must NOT be taken on board an aircraft are:

• explosives, such as fireworks, flares, toy gun caps;
• gases, such as culinary blowtorches, camping or compressed gas cylinders, tear gas, mace or CS gas devices;
• flammable materials such as petrol, lighter fuel, paint, thinners, non-safety matches, firelighters;
• poisons, such as weed killers, insecticides; and · corrosives, such as filled car batteries.

Passengers requiring further information about what they can and can’t transport on aircraft can contact the CAA’s Dangerous Goods Office on 01293 573900.

Aer Lingus Regional is launching new flights from Manchester to Cork.

The twice-daily Cork flights will commence on 31 October 2010 and be operated by Aer Arann as part of the Aer Arann Aer Lingus franchise agreement.

Manchester airport passengers using the Manchester airport meet and greet parking service should note that there have been changes made to the arrival and departure procedures, as detailed below:

Arrival Procedures for Terminal 1 & 3

When you reach the entrance to the car park (signposted Valet parking), press the help button and quote your booking reference number and name to a member of staff. You are not required to take a ticket. Once you have parked, simply unload your luggage and enter the Valet reception to deposit your key. You will be given a receipt which you should keep safe for your return.

Once you’ve unloaded your car and completed a vehicle check with the receptionist, follow the footpath into Terminal 1. Terminal 3 is a five-minute walk away from Terminal 1.

Departure Procedures for Terminal 1 & 3

Enter the Valet reception at Terminal 1 and present your receipt. Your key will be returned alongside the name of the row your car is parked in. Then cross the road behind the reception and your car will be in the arrivals car park waiting for you.

Arrival Procedures for Terminal 2

On arrival at the entrance to the car park (signposted Valet parking), press the help button and quote your booking reference number and name to a member of staff. You do not need to take a ticket. Once you have parked, simply unload your luggage and enter the Valet reception to deposit your key. You will be given a receipt which you should keep safe for your return.

Once you’ve unloaded your car and completed a vehicle check with the receptionist, follow the footpath into Terminal 2.

Departure Procedures for Terminal 2

Enter the Valet reception at Terminal 2 and present your receipt. Your key will be returned alongside details of where your car is parked in the multi-storey car park. The multi-storey car park is situated opposite Valet reception.