Airline is on a roll with Swiss flights
NEW weekly flights will link Inverness and Zurich next summer – and could boost the area’s economy by more than £350,000.
Scheduled to run for nine weeks, they will coincide with the Highland capital’s peak summer holiday season when they take off on July 3.
Operated by Swiss airline Edelweiss Air, the new direct route will allow passengers to reach Switzerland’s largest city and one of the key financial destinations in the world in less than three hours.
It is also designed to bring new visitors in to the Highlands.
Inglis Lyon, managing director of Highlands and Islands Airports which operates Inverness Airport, said: "This new summer link with Zurich offers increasing leisure opportunities for Scottish travellers with over 3000 seats for sale for the summer period. The expected increase in Swiss visitors to the Highlands could boost the economy by over £350,000."
Tickets are already on sale with prices from £190 for a return journey.
Andreas Meier from Edelweiss Air was pleased to be launching the firm’s second route to Scotland, with new flights to Inverness adding to the existing service from Edinburgh.
"This new route will open up further opportunity for travellers from Switzerland to discover the beauty of the Scottish Highlands," he said.
Inverness Airport, continues to illustrate its popularity and increasingly important role to the region and is currently witnessing the longest sustained period of growth in its 77-year history.
The airport recently recorded the highest monthly passenger figures since it opened in 1940 as RAF Dalcross – welcoming more than 93,000 people in July 2017 alone.
Mr Lyon said: "The airport is becoming an increasingly viable departure airport for Scottish passengers looking to travel abroad, where previously Highlanders would have had to book flights from other Scottish airports, they can now start their journey from the Highland capital, which is convenient for holiday travel.
"Our airline partners are central to the continued success at Inverness and it’s great to add another international airline to our list of carriers.
"We look forward to building a strong relationship with Edelweiss Air.
"We had a record summer in 2017, and hope that new routes such as this one will only help to improve passenger numbers over the coming 12 months."
Inverness has had previous flights with Zurich and Geneva involving different airlines during summer and winter months.
