Member Article

Positive passenger growth sees KLM renew agreement at Durham Tees Valley Airport

Dutch airline KLM has announced it is renewing its agreement with Durham Tees Valley Airport after growth in passenger numbers.

The deal sees the airline extend its long-term agreement to service Durham Tees Valley with a direct route to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, connecting passengers in the Tees Valley region to KLM’s worldwide routes from its Dutch base.

Passenger numbers on the route, which flies three times a day from the airport, have grown 5% in the 12 months to June which has underlined KLM’s decision to extend the agreement.

Warner Rootliep, General manager of Air France KLM for UK and Ireland commented: “We have had a long-standing successful relationship with Durham Tees Valley Airport which is reflected in the very positive growth we have seen recently.

“We have seen strong performance on our traffic to Amsterdam, as well as connecting across our worldwide network.

“This demonstrates the importance of the service, especially to the region’s business community, providing access to destinations across the world. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the airport and playing a role in its future progress.”

Robert Hough, Chairman of Peel Airports, which runs Durham Tees Valley Airport, added: “This new agreement with KLM provides stability for our operations and will, I am sure, be welcomed by the many business people who depend on the service to reach their global markets.

“The overall growth in passenger numbers is key to supporting the strategy set out in the airport Master Plan of delivering the services needed by the local business community and reflecting the importance of the airport, as set out in Lord Heseltine’s report on the regeneration of the Tees Valley.”