Beja airport to receive tourist boost

Windavia Airlines today made its inaugural flight, the shortest commercial flight in the history of continental Portugal, from Beja to Lisbon and back.

Windavia is betting on high passengers numbers to and from the Alentejo airport and "will start flying all summer to and from Beja in a very ambitious operation."

Flights to and from Tróia on the Alentejo coast, and Beja, will bring passengers from Paris and major French cities," said director Peter Bollinger, adding that "Windavia wants to carry over 10,000 passengers to the Alentejo from April to October next year.”

It is not only Beja airport that may benefit from this launch as Windavia claims to have "more than 4,000 flights contracted with major tour operators to fly from Lisbon, Madeira and Paris to major sun and beach destinations in southern Europe, including the Algarve, Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Greek Islands and North Africa, starting next week until December 31, 2014,” according to Bollinger.

The first full commercial flight will be on December 17 when Windavia, in partnership with the tour operator GPS Tours, will carry invites tour operators for lunch in Madeira, in order to promote the destination.

"From there we start with two weekly flights from Funchal to Paris in the festive season, then increase by one more flight per week and in the summer run four weekly flights," said Bollinger.

Windavia claims to have "more than €50 million in signed contracts," and to have reached agreements with major operators. From the beginning of the high season the company aims to begin flying once a week to Israel, increasing to two weekly flights in peak summer," said Bollinger.

Windavia fly has four Airbus A320 aircraft and is finalising contracts for two more aircraft, according to Bollinger, who should know as he owns 49% of the company.

This new entrant to the world of charter expects to see more than 10,000 passengers through Beja airport in 2014. If successful this new airline will bring the numbers of tourists to the Alentejo that local businesses have been planning for.

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Windavia is a Portuguese charter carrier operating under White Airways.

White Airways serves destinations in North Africa, Greece, the Caribbean and Latin America with its fleet of Airbus A310 aircraft. Portuguese flag carrier TAP held a majority equity stake until 2006, which was purchased by OMNI Aviação Group in 2006.

OMNI was founded in 1988 and in the past 20 years evolved into a group of 18 companies with 5 AOCs (Air Operator Certificate) in Portugal, France, Brazil and Cape Verde. OMNI is one of the leading aviation groups in Europe, operating more than 50 aircraft (airplanes and helicopters) with 700 employees and a turn-over of €180 millio.

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