easyJet takes off for Bristol

GIBRALTARIANS will now be able to fly easyJet direct to Bristol. April 19 saw the inaugural flight bring 147 passengers from Bristol to Gibraltar on the A319 aircraft.

The company believes that the new tri-weekly service will attract some 39,000 visitors per year. Return flights will start around £40.

While the inaugural flight brought 147 people to the rock, 108 took the first flight from Gibraltar to Bristol on the same day.

Ashley Fox, MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar, said: “Gibraltar has always been a bastion of British culture and the gateway to the Mediterranean. For centuries it has had strong links with the south west of England built on the foundation of mutual defence and respect and the sharing of the Royal Navy.

“I would encourage everyone in the south west to visit Gibraltar and enjoy the sun, sea, sand and friendly atmosphere of the rock and I hope that many Gibraltarians will travel to the south west and enjoy our famous hospitality as well.”

The Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, representatives of the Gibraltar Tourist Board and staff of the airport greeted passengers upon arrival, and the Re-enactment Society provided a colourful, historical escort for the occasion.