Air France say Dundee ‘a top priority’

[Humberside]

The UK general manager of Air France KLM used a visit to Dundee last week to describe the city as a ‘top priority destination’ for the airline, the Evening Telegraph reports. The airline currently fly between Dundee Airport and London City four times a day weekdays and once on Saturday and twice on Sunday under their City Jet for Air France banner.

Christine Ourmieres was in the city for a meeting with the new operators of Dundee Airport, Highlands and Islands Airports, about future plans for the service. Speaking to the newspaper before the meeting, she said the airline is preparing to launch a new marketing campaign in the city, which will see fresh signage bearing the airline’s logo erected around the airport.

She said that the airline will also increase its presence in the city and improve customer knowledge of the through flights they offer from London City Airport. She added that, despite the ‘challenging’ market environment caused by rising fuel prices, she was confident the service would go from strength to strength.

www.uk-airport-news.info/dundee-airport-news-070708.htm

[richardtaylor]

A "top priority destination" Dundee may be, but what other routes could they launch from such a restricted airport. If anyone has been to Riverside or passed by it on the Dundee-Glasgow railway line, it is right on the banks of the Tay, not much room for expansion.

Dundee has been booming with corporate movements, it being close to a number of world class golf courses, Carnoustie & St Andrews being the most obvious. I would think that may be its main source of business going forward, present economic climate notwithstanding.

[Humberside]

Would be nice if AF/KLM tried a European link. AMS once a day to start with and build up from there? Could use the Scot Airways Dornier to begin with if need be

[Humberside]

Looks like Dundee is trying to get an AMS link

news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2008/08/dundee-airport.html

[Humberside]

The early findings of a study by Dundee Airport into the appeal for a route to Amsterdam show passengers would support a link.

More than 2,000 people took part in the survey, which closed yesterday (August 31), and airport owner the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (website: HIAL) said there was strong demand for a morning and evening service to the Dutch capital.

Inglis Lyon, managing director of HIAL said: "A direct link to Amsterdam would be of enormous economic benefit to Dundee and the surrounding regions for business and leisure travel.

"The response from the public to our survey demonstrates strong demand for such a link and we will be presenting its findings to operators as part of our ongoing route development discussions at Dundee."

Other initial findings from the survey include 71 per cent of respondents saying they would use a direct service from Dundee to Amsterdam up to four times a year, and that 30 per cent of people who completed the survey travelled for business; the rest considered themselves leisure travellers.

news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2008/09/survey-shows-su.html

I hope the survey considered connecting passengers which would probably be the main type of passengers using the service

[richardtaylor]

Problem is surveys are one thing, convincing airlines to act upon their results can be another.