Leeds City Region soars to new heights with Jet2.com

The agreement will see the region benefit from its first ever direct flight to Nice for the influential property forum, something the private sector delegation has been keen to see for a number of years. It also sees Jet2.com bring forward its summer 2017 programme to Nice from Leeds Bradford Airport to coincide with the conference.

With MIPIM taking place from 14th-17th March 2017, Jet2.com will now launch its summer programme to Nice in perfect time. The first flight to Nice from Leeds Bradford Airport for the season will take off on Monday 13th March 2017, a day before the conference begins. A return flight on Friday 17th is perfect for returning delegates.

Alongside this, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership has also confirmed the support of Leeds Bradford Airport for the City Region�s attendance at MIPIM 2017.

This news follows the recent announcement that the City Region has secured substantial private sector backing for both MIPIM UK 2016 and MIPIM 2017; with firms including Scarborough Group International and Thorpe Park Leeds, Bilfinger GVA, Bruntwood, CEG, Extra MSA Group, Harworth Group plc, Shulmans LLP and Quod, all confirming their support.

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership commented: �I�m delighted that we have been able to confirm a return flight from our region to Nice through the leading leisure airline Jet2.com. This is something our businesses have been requesting for a number of years, and it�s a result of the high level of private sector support as well as the strength and resilience of the market and economy that this year we have been able to achieve this ambition. This flight will significantly increase the ease of travel to the world leading conference and exhibition, and I hope that in turn this will encourage more firms to join the delegation and support our City Region�s good growth agenda on this international platform.

�I am pleased to welcome Leeds Bradford Airport�s support for our ever growing MIPIM delegation. As a fundamental part of our City Region�s infrastructure, which plays a role in international and intercity connectivity, I look forward to working with the team there to continue to profile the strength of Leeds City Region as a destination for businesses to invest, develop or locate.

�Finally I�m sure that this flight will not only benefit our region but also our Northern powerhouse neighbours in Sheffield, Newcastle and Sunderland who will also be attending the property forum in March.�

Tony Hallwood, Leeds Bradford Airport's Aviation Development Director added; �I�m pleased to confirm our support of Leeds City Region�s MIPIM attendance. It�s been great to work with the LEP to secure a direct flight from here to Nice in time for the international property forum.

�Airports are an important part of city region economies and in our case we have plans to grow our contribution. LBA contributes �336m in GVA in the Leeds City Region and around 5,200 jobs, but if the airport grows in line with the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) it expects these figures to grow to �724m and over 10,000 jobs by 2030.�

Phil Ward, Managing Director at Jet2.com said, �As the leading airline in Yorkshire and the north of England, we are delighted to be supporting LEP and the region by providing flights to such a major international conference. As well as supporting local businesses, this means we are also extending our summer 2017 programme to Nice from Leeds Bradford, giving more people the opportunity to experience the magic of the French Riviera.�

The Leeds City Region MIPIM 2017 flight will depart Leeds Bradford International Airport on Monday 13 March and return on Friday 17 March. To find out more information about the flight visit or to discover how you can support Leeds City Region at MIPIM UK 2016 or MIPIM 2017, click here.