Groningen Airport Eelde passed a new milestone on Thursday: their 100,000th passenger on their London service.
By Hans de Preter / Translation by Traci White
The 100,000th passenger, Niek Verweij, was informed at the gate of the airport that he was the lucky flyer and everyone on his flight received a special treat to mark the occasion.
Since 5 June 2014, Flybe and Stobart have operated flights from Groningen Airport Eelde to London Southend. The Drenthe airport has offered three daily flights to the British capital since this spring.
Business and pleasure
Adding London as a destination was considered a significant leap forward for the regional airport, making Eelde a portal to the wider world. Research has shown that 30 percent of passengers traveling from GAE to Southend are business travelers, and 45 percent of passengers are residents of the United Kingdom.
Popular since day one
Graeme Buchanan, the managing director of Stobart Air, says, “Our 100,00th passenger is an important milestone for this service, which has been popular from day one. We’re seeing even greater interest now that we offer three flights a day.”
Bowy Odink, the commercial manager of Groningen Airport Eelde, says that it is great to achieve this result within four years. “Our capacity has increased considerably this year: we’re expecting to have our 200,000th passenger in another 18 months.”
