With one month to go until a new air link takes off between the capital of the Highlands and Yorkshire passenger demand is proving to be strong.

The level of advance bookings is high for Eastern Airways’ Inverness – Leeds Bradford Airport service which starts operating on Monday 24 April.

The service is Eastern’s third route from Inverness, joining their well established Birmingham and Manchester operations, and will operate six days a week, Monday to Friday and Sundays.

The service will be operated with 29-seat Jetstream 41 aircraft with the one hour 20 minute flight departing Leeds Bradford at 10.15 and returning from Inverness at 12.05.

Online fares on the new service start at £99 return (www.easternairways.com), including taxes and charges.

The route has qualified for support from the Scottish Executive’s Air Route Development Fund and will be the second new service to launch at Inverness in April, following Aer Arran’s Dublin route which will start on 10 April and is also being supported by the RDF.

Leeds is one of the United Kingdom’s largest cities, a major financial centre with a range of management consultancies and law firms and from the leisure perspective, the airport is the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and James Herriot country, the spa town of Harrogate and, of course Leeds, a fabulous shopping destination.

Inglis Lyon, managing director of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd said: “This new route into an important English region will be good for both business and leisure travel. Bookings are going well and we look forward to Eastern firmly establishing their third route at Inverness over the coming months.”

Stuart Black, chief executive of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise said: “This new route from Eastern is very good news for Inverness and the wider Highland economy. Leeds/Bradford serves a major tourism market for the Highlands and is also an important business and financial centre offering opportunities for business growth and inward investment.”

Councillor Charlie King, chair of The Highland Council's Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee and chairman of the Highlands and Islands Regional Transport Partnership said: “HITRANS supports the development of a wider range of destinations served by air from Inverness and therefore we welcome the new services to Leeds and to Dublin. Improved air links are fundamental to the main objective of our emerging Regional Transport Strategy which is to enhance the economic competitiveness of the region.”