Low-cost airline Primera Air began services from Birmingham Airport (BHX/EGBB) this week with flights to New York starting on Friday 18th May.
The airline’s operation at Birmingham got underway on Monday with the first flight to Malaga and Palma from the Midlands airport.
Primera, like many other airlines, is being hit by delays in the delivery of its latest Airbus A321neo aircraft. The type is due to operate Primera’s transatlantic services from the UK but has now been forced to bring in a Boeing 757-200 leased from National Airlines to operate the six-times-weekly service to New York’s Newark airport (EWR/KEWR).
Airbus has been plagued by problems with both CFM and Pratt & Whitney produced engines on the neo aircraft and there is currently a backlog of aircraft at Toulouse and Hamburg.
Primera Air will be adding Toronto (23rd June), Las Palmas, Alicante, Barcelona, Crete and Reykjavik flights from Birmingham over the next few months.
Flights to Spain are operated by a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Speaking on Monday Anastasija Visnakova, Chief Commercial Officer at Primera Air, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome our passengers this morning on the inaugural service to Malaga. The range of destinations, both European and transatlantic, at fantastic prices creates more choice for passengers travelling from Birmingham Airport.
“We have growth plans for Birmingham and we look forward to working with the airport and serving the region’s leisure and business travellers throughout 2018 and beyond.”