EUJET has celebrated six months of flying from Kent International Airport and the management are already making plans for the future.

The airline's group commercial director, Stuart McGoldrick, has spoken exclusively to the Kent Messenger Group about the highs and lows of the last six months and about his plans for the coming years.

"All in all I'm very pleased with how our first six months have gone," he said.

"I know we have had our low points but we have also had quite a few highs and I would definitely say the move from Shannon and London to Manston was one of them for me.

"When it comes to the low points what happened just a few weeks ago was one of them. We had a malfunction on one of our planes that indicated that the landing gear was not properly down."

Other lows have included problems with flights being cancelled but Mr McGoldrick is confident that those have all been ironed out.

"When we started we did our best to predict what people wanted but there were always going to be some things we got wrong," he admitted. "But I am now confident we are on top of things and I'm sure our clients won't be experiencing those problems again."

The firm is already reaching its targets, something that has given bosses reason to smile.

"In the last quarter of 2004, we work in quarters rather than the whole year, we were on target, if not slightly above. For a new company, that is so much more than we expected and I couldn't be happier," he said.

The airport and airline's impact on the area has also brought a smile to many other people's faces.

"Business Link and Kent Locate are using the airport as a selling point to other businesses who are looking to relocate and that has to be good," said Mr McGoldrick.

"Yes it's good for us as it brings possible business our way, but it is also good for the rest of the area as it brings jobs and money to Thanet and Kent.

When EUJet and its mother company PlaneStation moved to Manston it was said that the area's infrastructure would be top of the agenda. But there is still plenty to do.

Mr McGoldrick said: "I will be truly happy when I drive down the motorway and see signs pointing to Kent International Airport. We have had talks with the people in charge of making changes but I can't say that anything has been agreed. It will certainly be something that I push for.

"What I really hope for the airport and airline in the future is a bit of credibility. I want people to look on us as a genuine threat to the other larger airports in the South East."