GLASGOW Airport is gearing up for a bumper year after being chosen as Scotland's only direct air link to Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

A weekly service will start this summer when a 46-seater ATR-42 plane will make the two-hour journey to the island off the Normandy coast.

Flights will operate on Saturdays from June 29 until September 14.

The service was announced by the Channel Islands Travel Group. Tickets will be sold by Airways Holidays and at GuernseyTravel.com

Robert Mackenzie, of CI Travel, said: "We are delighted to have concluded negotiations for the launch of a new service from Glasgow Airport to Guernsey.

"It has been some years since Scottish visitors were able to travel directly to Guernsey and we believe this direct link will be popular."

Glasgow Airport boss Amanda McMillan said: "We look forward to work- ing closely with CI Travel to make their flight programme a success."

Glasgow is expected to be even busier next year. Low cost airline Jet2.com is introducing three new routes – Murcia and Menorca in Spain and Pula, Croatia – next summer which will bring the number of destinations service by airline chiefs to 19.

Barrhead Travel has also decided to make available 20,000 seats on flights to Spain's Palma, Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona and Italy's Venice – twice the number it offered up last year. And twice daily flights to Dubai will soon have onward connections to Australian city of Adelaide and the Thai holiday island of Phuket.

In March, Virgin Atlantic is to bring forward its flights to Florida to coincide with the Easter holidays while Icelandair is introducing a new Friday flight to Reykjavik.

Glasgow will also be the first Scottish airport to welcome the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Holiday giant Thomson will use the plane to fly holidaymakers to Mexico and Florida.

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk