Jetlantic Virtual Airways is proud to announce a further expansion of its fleet following the arrival of its third Airbus A318, CS-TUH "Queimadas". The capacity increase means a series of new destinations to be served from Porto, including the first ever scheduled service between Flores Island (Azores) and the Portuguese mainland.

Other destinations include Venice, Athens, Zurich, Algiers, Strasbourg, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Ivalo, Burgas, Vágar and La Rochelle. Direct flights will also connect Madeira to Strasbourg and Lyon, while the connections between Madeira and La Gomera and El Hierro in the Canary Islands will be reinforced by jet flights, another first for Jetlantic.

Jetlantic is very proud to add another superb holiday destination to its route network: Fernando de Noronha. A weekly flight will now connect Porto to the archipelago, providing an excellent opportunity for holidaymakers which until now had to connect via different airports such as Recife. In the press conference unveiling the new route, Jetlantic's Flight Operations Director António Santa Clara said: "Fernando de Noronha is an extremely popular destination for Portuguese tourists, and we believe this is the right time to offer a direct flight from Portugal, giving our customers great savings in terms of time and costs. I would also like to thank the Brazilian Tourism Ministry for their support in making this route come true."

Discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century, the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha remains one of the greatest natural paradises of Brazil, with a fabulous ecossystem and sandy beaches that are almost hard to believe. Popular tourist activities include sailing, diving and eco-tourism.

CS-TWD has now returned to service, back in its original Madeira base and painted in the splendid "Madeira" livery by Dinarte Branco. The return of Whiskey Delta has enabled a substantial expansion of the Madeira route network with several new destinations.

Scheduled destinations served from Madeira include Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Malmö, Bilbao and Valencia, while services to Nancy, Nantes, Frankfurt and Stuttgart have also been launched from Porto.

Charter operations in Madeira have also increased, with a major offensive on the French tourist market. As a result, direct flights now exist to Nancy, Nantes, Clermont-Ferrand and Le Havre.

CS-TUA has now been returned to service, replacing CS-TWD in the Gibraltar hub. After completion of a "C" check, the aircraft has been painted with the colours of Jetlantic's new livery, including a special Gibraltar Tourism Board logo. The two-class configuration, originally fitted due to weight restrictions on the Vágar operation, will be maintained as a strategy to maximise revenue, particularly on the Gatwick route.

CS-TWD has now been sent to its own "C" check, before returning to Madeira to reinforce the airline's operation there.

A new Airbus A318, CS-TUG "Poiso", has just joined Jetlantic's fleet. This aircraft will be based at Vágar airport as a replacement for the Boeing 737-600 CS-TUA previously based there. After an extended operational assessment, the A318's characteristics have been judged more adequate for the EKVG operation, increasing the operational margins available.

In the meantime, CS-TUA will undergo its first "C" check and a repaint, before being reassigned to its new hub, to be disclosed shortly.