Last weekend was a reminder of how great our local airport is, and what a joy it is to be part of a group which works together with the operators, staff and passengers whenever the need arises.
We had a triple whammy of big events come our way at the same time which saw Durham Tees Valley Airport busier than usual, but all those involved rose to the challenge and saw everything go ahead without a problem.
First off was the annual Catholic pilgrimages to Lourdes in France. This year saw two full Boeing 737-800 aircraft chartered for the flights, operating on the morning of Friday 24th May.
With the large amounts of equipment that is needed, as well as two full loads of passengers in one go, FoDTVA were on hand to help process all of this, getting the equipment through to security, and assisting passengers within the terminal.
The weekend also saw the Radio 1 Big Weekend taking place in Stewart Park, Middlesbrough. As the nearest airport to the venue, many of the big name artists performing at the event chose to fly in, bringing everything from smaller biz jets to a huge Airbus A340-300 (possibly the transport of Mumford & Sons and their crew!).
Finally, Saturday 26 May saw the return of summer charter flights to the sun with the first Balkan Holidays departure to Bulgaria. Its Airbus A320 arrived early on the morning, and a full load of passengers passed through the terminal. FoDTVA were on hand to help out (as well as with the Flybe Jersey flight on the afternoon), and we even got to pose with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who was also there.
