Southampton Airport: Chalair set to begin Caen flights

French airline Chalair is set to begin flights between Southampton and Caen in Normandy.

The 40-minute flights will run on Fridays and Sundays from June until September.

It will be the French port city's only UK air link and Chalair's only UK route.

Southampton Airport said it hoped the route would be popular with weekend visitors or those with holiday homes in Normandy.

The flights will be operated by a 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft.

Alain Battisti, chairman of Chalair, said: "As a Normandy airline based in Caen, Chalair is proud to be part of the region's touristic offer.

"Flying from Southampton to Caen, our ambition is to improve the local economy and cultural discoveries, contributing to more exchanges."

The airport has already added new holiday routes following a 164m (538ft) extension to its runway which means larger planes, including the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737, can use it.

EasyJet will start weekly flights to Spanish city, Alicante in March and Faro, southern Portugal in July.

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