Latest news with #NewcastleInternationalAirport
Scottish Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
World's happiest city in 2025 revealed with theme park that inspired Disney and new UK flights
Plus, a list of the 20 happiest cities in the world HAPPY DAYS World's happiest city in 2025 revealed with theme park that inspired Disney and new UK flights THE Danish city of Copenhagen has been voted the happiest in the world - and it's now even easier to get to from the UK. The capital of Denmark topped the list of the happiest cities for 2025 revealed by Happy City Index. 5 Copenhagen is the happiest city in the world Credit: Alamy 5 It's also home to one of the oldest ever theme parks Credit: Alamy Out of every city in the world, Copenhagen tops the ranks in the 'gold' category. The Happy City Index awarded the Danish capital with 1039 points. It evaluates the city through well-being combining existing data on factors like employment, education, and health with survey data on residents' feelings. Sadly, none in the UK made the list with others including Singapore, Zurich and Paris. Copenhagen isn't just a great place for people to live, it's also fun to visit - one reason being that it's home to the second-oldest amusement park in the world. Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen is said to have inspired Walt Disney and his theme parks. The Danish theme park first opened in 1843, and it claims to be the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world. Nearly 100 years after it opened, the amusement park welcomed Walt Disney who visited the park. In 1951, Walt Disney visited the Danish theme park - which was four years before the first Disney park opened in California. After being open for nearly two centuries, Tivoli Gardens is now home to 30 rides and other attractions. Inside the tiny European theme park that inspired Disneyland – and flights are just £14 5 Tivoli Gardens has 30 rides and attractions Credit: Alamy 5 Tivoli Gardens has rollercoasters and a 63m high drop tower Credit: Alamy One of the theme park's main attractions is the giant Ferris Wheel and the Golden Tower, which stands at 63m tall. The Golden Tower is one of the highest rides at the theme park. Any Brits planning a break to Copenhagen will be happy to hear that tourists get free entry to 24 attractions in the city with its CopenPay scheme. Visitors will be able to redeem freebies like lunches, cups of coffee, glasses of wine and kayak rentals if you pick up litter, cycling through the city and using public transport. Holidaymakers will be able to gain free entry to several popular tourist attractions, including the National Museum, The National Gallery of Denmark, the Karen Blixen Museum, the Museum of Copenhagen, and the Cisternerne. It's easy for Brits to get there too, especially with new routes out of Newcastle International Airport. The twice-weekly service from Newcastle International Airport to Copenhagen started operating in May 2025. Flights operate every Monday and Friday from £41.40. Sun Travel also travelled to the underrated city in Denmark with £2 pints and £20 flights. And the European Riviera unknown by Brits where locals spend their summer – with 'best beach' in the country & £16 flights. Here Are The World's Happiest Cities Copenhagen, Denmark Zurich, Switzerland Singapore Aarhus, Denmark Antwerp, Belgium Seoul, South Korea Stockholm, Sweden Taipei, Taiwan Munich, Germany Rotterdam, Netherlands Vancouver, Canada Vienna, Austria Paris, France Helsinki, Finland Aalborg, Denmark Berlin, Germany New York, USA Dresden, Germany Brussels, Belgium Geneva, Switzerland
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
8 new and expanded flights unveiled from North East to sun and ski destinations
Eight new and expanded flight routes have been unveiled as part of a major expansion of the winter 25/26 schedule from Newcastle International Airport. Jet2 will offer more flights to both Winter Sun and Ski destinations, including a brand-new ski route to Chambery, giving travellers even more choice and flexibility next winter. Steve Heapy, CEO of and Jet2holidays, said: 'We are seeing continued demand for our award-winning flights and holidays, and with Winter 25/26 looking so popular, we are in the position to respond with a massively expanded programme from Newcastle International Airport. 'As well as adding a brand-new ski route to Chambery, we have also put additional capacity on sale to Geneva and popular winter sun destinations, meaning we are giving customers even more choice and flexibility when it comes to getting away next winter. 'Such an expansion would not be possible without customers choosing to travel with us in huge numbers, so I would like to sincerely thank our customers and independent travel agent partners for their continued support. "We look forward to taking lots of happy holidaymakers on their well-deserved holidays next winter and showcasing our award-winning credentials.' Leon McQuaid, Director of Aviation Development at Newcastle International Airport, welcomed the announcement. Recommended reading: Girl, 10, has chunk of skull removed after trampoline accident left her paralysed Iron Age hoard in region is 'one of biggest and most important' in UK history Teenager who crashed stolen car during police chase walks free from court He added: 'We're delighted that and Jet2holidays are expanding their Winter Sun and Ski programmes from Newcastle Airport for 2025/26. 'The addition of a brand-new route to Chambery, alongside extra services to Geneva, provides passengers with even more opportunities to experience some of Europe's top ski resorts. 'Those seeking some winter sun can take advantage of the enhanced programme to popular destinations such as Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Malta and Majorca.' 8 new and expanded flights from North East to Europe: A new ski route to Chambery – Weekly Saturday services from 20 December 2025 to 28 February 2026 New Sunday services to Geneva – From 28 December 2025 to 22 March 2026 Extra services to Malaga – Between January and March 2026 Additional flights to Alicante – In November 2025 and February 2026 Extra Saturday flying to Gran Canaria – From 14 February to 28 March 2026 New Monday flights to Malta – From 16 February to 23 March 2026, with two weekly services during February half-term New Saturday flights to Palma (Majorca) – From 7 to 28 March 2026 Extra Sunday services to Tenerife – From 15 February to 22 March 2026
BBC News
21-03-2025
- BBC News
Somalian drug mule caught with £18,000 haul at Newcastle airport
A jobless drug mule was caught at an airport trying to smuggle £18,000 worth of illegal substances in his national Ahmed Hirsi, 46, garnered the attention of customs officers at Newcastle International Airport when he arrived on a flight from Dubai with a large amount of luggage, Newcastle Crown Court found 61 kg of khat, an African plant which is a Class C drug in the UK with a street value of up to £18, who has lived in the UK for 21 years, was jailed for eight months suspended for a year after admitting importing illicit drugs. Hirsi landed in Newcastle on 11 October 2023 having started his journey in Johannesburg, the court told border officials he had been holidaying in South Africa but they were suspicious of the large number of bags he discovered khat, which an expert said was a flowering plant native to Africa which, when consumed, can cause "excitement, loss of appetite and mild euphoria". 'You were recruited' The court heard Hirsi, of Circular Road in Neasden, London had five children and a partner back in was jobless and in receipt of about £36,000 a year in benefits due to having a hip injury, with the rent on his one-bedroom flat also paid for him, the court Thomas Moran said he did not believe the claims Hirsi had made to officers that the drugs were for personal use or that he did not know it was illegal in the UK."I'm in no doubt you were recruited to do this by somebody much more sophisticated than you," the judge told Hirsi, who was assisted in a court by a Somali Moran said criminals picked people like Hirsi who were "unemployed, in poor health and probably desperate for money".Hirsi must also comply with a six month electronically-monitored curfew between 19:00 and 07:00 and was ordered to pay £150 prosecution costs. Follow BBC Newcastle on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Sunderland Metro platform issue still not addressed five years on
Work to make a platform safe for a new fleet of Metro trains is yet to be completed five years after it was which operates the Metro in Tyne and Wear, said tracks at Sunderland station's platform two would need to be raised by about 4in (10cm) before its new Class 555 trains could safely use company launched a £2m programme in 2020 to adjust the height of tracks to ensure that new trains, which have a sliding step at every door, would fit smoothly into new trains will be temporarily using other platforms at Sunderland station until the issue is sorted. Costs unknown The new Metro trains entered service on the line between Sunderland and Newcastle International Airport for the first time on was two months later than they began on the South Shields to St James route, with the snag at Sunderland station blamed for the delay, the Local Democracy Reporting service services heading towards South Hylton will be using platform one, which is usually used by Northern trains, until the issue is Metro services towards Newcastle have not been affected and will continue to use platform three. Nexus said the cost of the required works remained unknown and none of its 60 other stations were currently affected by the Welford, major projects director at Nexus, said the firm was working with Network Rail, who own the track, to resolve of the Metro's 46 new trains are due to be in service by the end of 2025, with the entire new fleet being rolled out over the next two years. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
