Loganair has started operating flights between Aberdeen, Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) and Norwich.
The regional airline will now provide up to three weekday non-stop flights from the Granite City to DTVA with one flight on Sunday.
The airline believes the new routes will attract business passengers, including those working in the oil and gas industry.
Services will take one hour and will be operated by 33-seat Saab 340 aircraft.
Loganair is also restoring an air link connecting England’s north-east and East Anglia after two decades by introducing a non-stop flight, six days a week from DTVA to Norwich.
Passengers from Aberdeen can now travel from the north-east to Norwich on a one-stop-same-plane service via DTVA in around two hours and 20 minutes, five days a week.
The new routes mark the beginning of Loganair’s presence in Durham Tees Valley and the airline has already committed to establishing an operating base out of the airport with the creation of 12 jobs.
Loganair already employs 25 staff including pilots, cabin crew and engineers in Norwich, providing regular flights to Edinburgh, Manchester and Jersey.
Customers travelling north will also have access to Loganair’s extensive network across the Highlands and islands accessible from Aberdeen or its codeshare agreement with the airline’s sister company, bmi Regional, which provides routes to the Danish sea port of Esbjerg and Norwegian capital Oslo.
Kay Ryan, Loganair’s commercial director, said: “It’s fantastic to commence services on these two routes, acting as an important gateway for the energy sector.
“Bookings have been extremely encouraging since tickets to Durham Tees Valley went on sale a few months ago, even more positive when considering an incumbent is already operating.
“We’ll continue to keep pricing competitively and ensure our quality of service remains a major priority. The daily link to Norwich is by far the fastest way to travel between the two points, with land transportation taking up to five and a half hours or a number of different rail connections, so we’d strongly encourage anyone in the business community with links to either destination to opt for aviation next time they are making the trip.”
Aberdeen International Airport managing director Carol Benzie said: “We are delighted that the continuing return to growth in the airport’s domestic fixed wing market has encouraged Loganair to extend their network from Aberdeen, giving our passengers choice on this key route.”
