Ccheduled leisure airline Monarch is launching new routes to Dubrovnik in Croatia and Heraklion in Crete. The flights will operate from Birmingham and London Gatwick airports from 1st May 2012 with fares starting from £29.

Flights to Dubrovnik will operate three times a week from London Gatwick airport and two times a week from Birmingham. Flights to Heraklion will operate two times a week from both London Gatwick and Birmingham airports.

The new routes are a continuation of Monarch’s expansion strategy revealed last year to focus on its scheduled services and expand its network to new leisure destinations across Europe.

Kevin George, Managing Director of Monarch Airlines comments: “We are delighted to add both Croatia and Crete to our already extensive scheduled network of leisure destinations. The addition of these new routes further reinforces our expansion strategy and our position as the leading leisure focused airline serving the Mediterranean and the Canaries

He continues: “Dubrovnik is an extremely popular tourist destination with over a million holidaymakers visiting last year and Crete has always been a staple beach holiday favourite; we are therefore confident that our product offering is perfectly placed for the Croatian and Greek leisure market.”