Jet2 is pulling flights and package holidays from Manchester Airport to La Palma in the Canary Islands, just six months after launching the route. The airline and tour operator is also scrapping the service from London Stansted.
Route ends October 30
Flights between Manchester Airport and La Palma will cease on October 30, having originally launched on April 3 this year. The London Stansted route is being axed before it has even got off the ground, according to Canarian Weekly.
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that affected customers would be contacted directly and offered the choice to rebook or receive a full refund. The decision, they said, was taken following a review of their programme in response to passenger demand.
October half-term bookings unaffected
As the route is set to finish on October 30, most passengers with bookings during the October half-term period should remain unaffected. The Manchester Airport service operated twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, and was the fifth addition to Jet2's Canary Islands portfolio, which already included Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife, reports the Manchester Evening News.
A spokesperson for Jet2 said: "As a customer-focused business, we continually review our programme in response to what our customers want, and we will make adjustments where required. This gives us the ability to add flights and holidays in response to demand, and very occasionally we may withdraw them too.
"Following this latest review, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw flights and holidays to La Palma. Where customers are affected, we will contact them or their independent travel agent to let them know their options, which include rebooking another holiday or receiving a full refund.
"We would of course like to apologise to affected customers, however with a fantastic programme of services to a huge range of destinations, we are offering superb choice when it comes to rebooking their holidays with us."
Setback for La Palma tourism
According to Canarian Weekly, the development represents a "significant setback" for La Palma's tourism sector, with the island having welcomed news of the new route when it was introduced earlier in the spring. The destination, which has a less developed tourism infrastructure compared to popular resorts such as Tenerife and Lanzarote, had "been working to strengthen its connections with the British market."
