clickair’s Bilbao route moves to London Heathrow in revised UK timetable

Tuesday 14th October, 2008

clickair, Spain’s leading low fares airline, will switch its Bilbao flights from London Gatwick to Heathrow, effective 28 October, coinciding with the start of its winter timetable. clickair will continue to offer daily departures to La Coruna in north west Spain, but flights to Valencia will cease owing to disappointing passenger numbers. Clickair’s London Gatwick route to Seville will continue, four times a week, although the Vigo route is also being terminated at the end of October and will be reviewed again at the start of the summer schedule.

“We have had a reasonably upbeat summer network-wide,” said CEO Alex Cruz, “In the UK Bilbao and La Coruna have performed especially well. Moving the Bilbao route to Heathrow next month will be popular with our business passengers.”

The new London schedule will be as follows:
Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7: Bilbao - London Heathrow Depart 0955 arrive 1040

Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7: London Heathrow - Bilbao Depart 1135 arrive 1425

Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7: La Coruna - London Heathrow Depart 1505 arrive 1605

Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7: London Heathrow - La Coruna Depart 1715 arrive 2010

Days 1,5,6,7: Seville - London Gatwick Depart 1115 arrive 1245

Days 1,5,6,7: London Gatwick - Seville Depart 1330 arrive 1700

Alex Cruz addressed the 2008 Low Cost Airlines Summit in London last month as the airline celebrated two years of operation. He took the opportunity to highlight new incentives the carrier is instigating to entice the business traveller and how its newly launched multi reservation bookings are progressing. He also underlined how clickair is “not afraid” to adopt more traditional legacy airline practices and that the airline will continue to evolve.

Meanwhile, Spain's competition commission is to decide shortly on whether to agree to the proposed merger between clickair and Vueling, determining whether or not the new company will pose a threat to domestic competition. Communications between the two airlines is set to resume in early October.

Vueling and clickair have agreed to merge in a move to create a carrier better equipped to tackle stiff competition and high fuel costs. At the end of March, Vueling’s Board approved a deal signed between the two airlines' main shareholders whereby Vueling would absorb clickair through a capital increase. Spanish flag carrier Iberia which controls 80% of unlisted clickair, would be a major shareholder in the new airline, together with Nefinsa and Inversiones Hemisferio, which has agreed to remain in the company for two years. The merger is subject to regulatory approval and is on-track for summer 2009.

www.clickair.com