Zoom Airlines today announced it has taken 1,000 bookings for its new low-cost scheduled flights from Cardiff to Canada.

ÊThe weekly Cardiff to Toronto service was announced in November last year and since then, the number of flights booked out of Cardiff International Airport has mounted with every passing week. Flights start operating in May with prices from £89 one-way including taxes.

Today, Dylan and Donna Richards, of Swansea, made the 1000th booking, when they arranged seats on the inaugural flight for themselves and their daughter Emily. Ê

To celebrate making the milestone booking, Zoom decided Dylan, Donna and Emily will fly to Toronto with free upgrades on Zoom’s Premium Cabin where they will enjoy additional legroom superior meals and complimentary drinks all the way.

Mr Richards said: “We have been looking forward to our trip to Canada so much. There will be a new addition to the family shortly as Donna is five moths pregnant with our second child, so this holiday will be our last for a while. Now that we are travelling premium class it is even more special for us.

“We were delighted to hear that we could fly direct to Canada from Wales at affordable prices and Zoom’s flights are exactly what people need.”

Zoom is the only airline offering flights out of Cardiff to Canada this summer and the only low-cost transatlantic airline servicing Canada for the whole of Wales and the West of England.Ê

Margaret Matheson, UK Director of Zoom Airlines, said: “We have been astounded by the level of interest the Cardiff - Toronto route has received in the first two months of offering the service. Having secured our 1000th booking is a great indication of how popular a destination Canada is for the Welsh public and I am delighted to be opening up this passage with affordable direct flight.ÊÊ ÊÊ

“We viewed Cardiff as an emerging market for summer 2005 since a high percentage of customers who booked flights out of Gatwick last summer were within two hours drive of Cardiff. We will certainly be reviewing the demand over the first summer’s programme, with a view to adding additional flights out of this popular UK hub for summer 2006.”

Starting in May, Zoom will be operating scheduled flights from Cardiff, Gatwick,  Glasgow and Manchester servicing eight Canadian cities - Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg.
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