Flybe returns to Bournemouth Airport

Flybe has announced it is to open a base at Bournemouth Airport in 2015.

The low-cost airline, which pulled out of the terminal in 2010, says it will resume flights there at the end of March, initially flying to Glasgow.

Flights to Amsterdam, Manchester, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Jersey, Dublin, Deauville (Normandy) Toulon and Biarritz will begin in May.

Bournemouth Airport said it would potentially bring an extra 300,000 passengers and up to 50 new jobs.

Exeter-based Flybe is also the main carrier at Southampton, which is less than 30 miles from the Bournemouth terminal.

'Local tourism'

Flybe chief commercial officer Paul Simmons said: "Bolstering regional connectivity remains our number one aim. Serving the Dorset coastline builds on Flybe's strong regional presence."

Bournemouth Airport managing director Paul Knight said: "The new routes to Manchester, Amsterdam and Paris are perfect for a mix of leisure and business passengers, looking to connect to these major hubs for meetings and short breaks... Most importantly, this is excellent news for our local tourism industry as the routes will attract a significant number of visitors coming into this area on holiday."

Bournemouth Airport, which opened a new £45m terminal in 2010, is primarily used by Ryanair and Thomson Airways.

The airport is owned by Manchester Airports Group, which also runs Stansted, East Midlands and Manchester airports.