Zoom drops Gatwick-JFK link

Published: 31/07/2008 - Filed under: News »

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Zoom Airlines will cease flying between London and New York on October 31, a result of high fuel prices and increased competition on the route following the Open Skies agreement.

The Canadian carrier launched the Gatwick-JFK service in June last year, but has had to contend with the soaring price of oil over the last twelve months, and airlines such as Delta starting New York flights from Heathrow, a result of the Open Skies agreement earlier this year.

In a statement Jonathan Hinkles, Zoom Airlines' managing director, said: "We have decided to concentrate on our new routes - linking London Gatwick with San Diego and Fort Lauderdale for Summer 2009. This will mean that we are, unfortunately, ceasing services between London Gatwick and New York JFK from November 1, 2008. We have not taken bookings for any New York flights after this date and so no customers' travel plans will be affected by the move.

“Although we've carried over 80,000 passengers on the route since its launch last year, a combination of recent high fuel prices and an excessive increase in other airlines' seat capacity to New York with the advent of Open Skies has led to our decision to redeploy the aircraft onto more profitable routes.”

Hinkles said Zoom remained “fully committed” to its services from the UK to Canada and Bermuda. The carrier launched its schedule for summer 2009 earlier this week, with additional flights from Manchester including a twice-weekly non-stop service to Toronto, and a second weekly flight to Vancouver. Zoom will also add a Thursday non-stop flight between Glasgow and Vancouver (complementing its current Sunday service via Calgary).

From Gatwick the airline will add a third weekly non-stop service to San Diego from June 2009, an extra direct Saturday flight to Fort Lauderdale, and a non-stop Sunday service to Ottawa for summer 2009.

For more information visit flyzoom.com.

Report by Mark Caswell

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