Arkefly to use 787 on Eindhoven to Aruba, Curacao routes

Holiday travel operator Arkefly will start flying one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners on a route between Eindhoven and Antilles from November. Ticket sales for the flights will begin in March, the airline says. It is the first time a Dutch regional airport will serve as a origin or destination on an intercontinental route. It also marks the only regular operation of a Dreamliner from a regional departure point. To develop flights from Eindhoven Airport, Arkefly wanted to have an alternative for Schiphol Airport where limits have been placed on growth. The routes are meant to attract tourists from southern Netherlands, Belgium and western Germany, since there are no flights to Antilles from any Belgian airport. Air Berlin does fly once weekly to Curaçao from Dusseldorf, Germany. "Close to home, fewer traffic jams, less stress and cheap parking. Flying from the region has many benefits for travelers from outside the Randstad," said Arkefly Director Hans van de Velde. Arkefly will start the new line on November 1st with two flights a week and continue to carry it out throughout next year, including summer season of 2016. The airline alternates the first flight to Aruba or Curacao only to stop on the other island on the way back to Eindhoven. The ultramodern airliner can carry 288 passengers each way.