Shares in British airport operator Planestation Group soared yesterday on news that its small international airport in Kent, south of London, would become the UK hub for new Irish airline EUjet.
Planestation said on Thursday that EUjet, headed by Mr PJ McGoldrick, former Ryanair chief executive, would operate 29 European routes from its Kent International Airport, lifting passenger numbers from 300,000 in the first year of operation to two million by the end of year three.
Flights were expected to begin in June and plans were underway to expand its passenger terminal, Planestation said in a statement.
Three of London's biggest airports are already situated in England's crowded south-east,including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
Dominant UK airport operator BAA said in December that the government had approved plans to expand Stansted - a hub for low-cost airlines including Ryanair - as part of a 30-year strategy to cope with soaring demand for air travel.
EUjet is a collaborative venture with Europe's largest aircraft lessor, debis AirFinance, part of the DaimlerChrysler group.
It has been operating charter flights for European tour operators out of Dublin, Birmingham, Bergamo and Milan since May 2003 and also operates aircraft on behalf of Air France. - (Reuters)
