Flights with a difference heading for Chester airport

Dec 15 2008 by David Norbury, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER’S airport at Broughton will be welcoming incoming flights with a difference.

From next month (January) the familiar sight of the huge Airbus Beluga will be joined in the city's skies by twice daily flights by a much smaller 19 seat Dornier ferrying patients from the Isle of Man to hospitals in the north west.

The scheme is being brought in by the island's Department of Health and Social Security which will continue to use scheduled services to Liverpool John Lennon Airport by operator Flybe.

The twice daily return service to Broughton will be provided by airline Manx2.com.

Manx Minister of Health Eddie Teare said: “By utilising Chester Airport we are taking the opportunity to broaden the range of transport facilities available to our patients and I am sure that our patients will benefit from this new enhanced service.”

He says the flights will offer a dedicated service to the island’s patients at times arranged to suit their appointments.

Additional benefits will include typical flight times of 30 minutes and transit times through the airport of only five to 10 minutes, shorter journey times to hospitals located on the Wirral and no significant increase in journey times to hospitals in Liverpool.

There will also be shorter check in times and faster processing at Broughton through a dedicated facility.

The minister added: “The department will still require scheduled flights to Liverpool, as the number of patient transfers far exceeds the number of seats which will be available to Chester.”