A PLACE in the sun has come closer for many people in Kent with the take off of regular flights from Manston to Spain and Portugal.

Seguro Travel, a company founded in Edenbridge, and now based in Macclesfield, will operate flight-only and package holiday deals from Kent International Airport this summer.

A chartered 180-seat airbus A320 will take off for Faro on the Portugese Algarve, and Barcelona every Thursday, starting on May 25.

The operation will be called Kent Escapes. Passengers can book online or through a call centre, currently based at Glasgow Prestwick Airport but there are plans to set up a call centre at Manston.

The aircraft will be operated by LTE, an airline based in Majorca. Packages will start at £309 for seven nights all inclusive holiday accommodation on the Costa Brava, and £239 for seven nights self catering in the Algarve. Flight-only fares will be the same.

Richard Burke, Seguro’s managing director, said he was confident the deal would work and expected further destinations to be added in the future.

The number of passengers travelling with Seguro out of Glasgow Prestwick had risen, he said, from 4,500 to 75,000 in five years.

There would be no extras for taxes or fuel surcharges. Mr Burke stressed: "What you see is what you pay. We offer good honest service and value for money.

"We feel it is a great opportunity for Seguro, for Kent International and the Kent public and we hope they will get behind a locally based operator."

Mr Burke added that the flights would operate during daytime hours, although the departure to Barcelona would be around 11pm.

Cllr Bob Bayford, Thanet Council's deputy leader, welcomed the announcement. He said: "We firmly believe that Kent International has a major role to play as a regional airport and this is another step towards proving that."

Meanwhile, airport operator Infratil is talking to several airlines about resuming scheduled flights following the collapse of EUjet last summer.

There has been a lot of interest, said airport general manager Phill Vann, but he added that "no decision had yet been made".