New routes offered from airport

The new routes will operate from the airport twice every week day

A Polish-owned airline has announced it is to operate two new routes out of Dundee City Airport from next month.

The services to Birmingham and Belfast will be operated by Flywhoosh.com, a subsidiary of private Polish company White Eagle Airlines.

The airport currently offers a commercial service to London City Airport, operated by Scot Airways.

The new services have received financial backing from the Scottish Executive's route development fund.

The airport is run by Dundee City Council but will be handed over to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd in September.

Our service is ideal for people who do not want to drive and hour each way to Edinburgh airport and then pay for parking Aden Murcutt

Joe Morrow, convener of Dundee City Council's economic development committee, welcomed the announcement.

He said: "The business community in and around Dundee now has a direct air link that will take them to Belfast and into the economic heart of the English Midlands, twice every week day.

"The fact that Flywhoosh also plans to base an aircraft in Dundee, and along with it a maintenance team, is additional good news."

Aden Murcutt, UK commercial director for Flywhoosh, said the company were not claiming to offer the cheapest flights but were hoping their door-to-door service would appeal to potential customers.

"Our service is ideal for people who do not want to drive and hour each way to Edinburgh airport and then pay for parking," he said.

'Convenient service'

"We know 50,000 from the core catchment area of Dundee flew from Edinburgh to Birmingham and back last year. If you add the drive to the airport, that's 1.9m unnecessary road miles."

Mr Murcutt said the company was also hoping the Belfast route would appeal to the student population in Dundee.

"There is a demand from people who want a quick, convenient service," he said.

The company are already planning a third route from the airport but have not revealed the destination.