DEARER holiday flights, the loss of 140,000 jobs and the ending of flights to some Spanish and Greek destinations could be the result of the Euorpean Community abolishing duty-free shopping.

That's the cry from Blackpool Airport which is backing a campaign against the move, scheduled for June 30, 1999.

Managing director Roy Minear donned a red devil's costume on Thursday - 666 days before the ban is due to come into force - and mingled with duty-free shoppers bound for Majorca, to drive home the message.

He said: "Duty-free shopping is an established feature of international travel.

"People enjoy it and want to keep it. A survey we have just conducted among passengers leaving on flights from Blackpool shows 100 per cent of them wanted duty-free shopping to stay."

He went on to say that duty-free is a major provider of income which helps to keep down landing charges and provides investment for new airport facilities.

To compensate for its loss, landing charges for EU flights would need to rise by about while £10 would be put on the price of an average holiday flight.

Mr Minear added: "Everyone who wants to see our duty free shops kept open should make their voice heard now.

"They should write or speak directly to their MP and MEP and make them aware that the duty-free industry, which works to the benefit of all, should be kept intact."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.