This morning Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, welcomed a delegation of high profile business leaders and award-winning cheese-makers at Birmingham Airport to celebrate the start of its new daily service to Amsterdam that offers a choice of up to 32 flights a week.

(left to right) Jerry Blackett, CEO of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Mandy Haque, Airline and Trade Relations Manager, Birmingham Airport, Iselle Van Dijk from Dutch cheese-maker, Bouter, Paul Willoughby, Regional Sales Manager, Flybe, Martin Moyden of Mr Moyden’s Handmade Cheese in Shropshire, and John Philips, Regional Director, Institute of Directors, are all pictured welcoming the arrival of the new Flybe Amsterdam service into Birmingham Airport.

Local business leaders John Philips, Regional Director Institute of Directors and Jerry Blackett, CEO of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce joined Flybe and Birmingham Airport representatives along with Shropshire’s Martin & Beth Moyden of Mr Moyden’s Handmade Cheese to welcome Sebastian Bakker and Iselle Van Dijk from Amsterdam’s leading cheese-maker, Bouter. Their involvement was facilitated by the British Embassy’s UK Trade & Investment division in The Hague.

After a ‘cheese-swap’ with a difference where the two cheese-makers presented one another with samples of their produce, including the 12kg wheel of Edam from Amsterdam, the two companies spent the day together at Mr Moyden’s premises comparing notes and discussing the opportunities for closer business links that the route will help foster.

Andrew Strong, Flybe UK’s Managing Director, comments: “Flybe understands the importance to regional economies of having a selection of stable air services and we are delighted with the interest that our new route between Birmingham and Amsterdam has already attracted. It not only ensures that passengers have a choice of vital, affordable connections on critical routes but also helps maintain an important link necessary to support economy of the West Midlands region.”

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport: “We’re delighted that Flybe has launched its new Amsterdam service from Birmingham. Amsterdam is an incredibly popular route from Birmingham, sitting in third place year-on-year as our busiest route. The flight timings are convenient for both business and leisure passengers and Flybe’s affordable prices will undoubtedly make the route a great success.”

Strong concluded: “We understand the importance to the region of maintaining this key link to Amsterdam that offers a wealth of choice for onward seamless connections to the rest of the world. On behalf of Flybe, we are delighted to welcome today’s visitors and hope that their experience with one of the West Midlands’ region’s leading entrepreneurs will mark the start of many similarly beneficial relationships.”

For full details of Flybe’s new service between Birmingham and Amsterdam are available at www.flybe.com with one way tickets from £43.99 including taxes and airport charges.

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