After months of anticipation, the Lake District 's Carlisle Airport has finally opened to the public.
The first flight, operated by Loganair, took off on Thursday morning and headed to Dublin Airport.
Loganair will be operating all of the flights to and from Carlisle, with a schedule of eight flights a day planned across the week, and a total of 12 at weekends.
Routes from Cumbria and the Lake District will include return flights to London Southend, Belfast City and Dublin airports.
Fares start from with £39.99 each way and can already be booked on the Loganair website.
It marks the first time since 1993 that the airport has been open to both commercial and business travellers.
The airport was initially due to open in 2018, but suffered some setbacks when it was forced to delay its opening not once but twice, blaming both a shortage of air traffic control staff and delays to construction as they waited for regulatory approval.
Of course it opens up a new way for Brits to travel to the breathtaking region, and is expected to play a role in boosting tourism to the area.
According to Cumbria Tourism, visitors contributed £2.9billion to the Cumbrian economy in 2017, with 47 million people visiting the region.
It's not surprising that the area is such a hit. After all, it boasts some pretty spectacular scenery with rolling green hills and breathtaking lakes, plenty of fun attractions for families to explore, and heaps of history and culture to discover.
Thinking of booking a trip yourself but also sticking to a budget? We've rounded up some of the best cheap hotels in the Lake District to give you a helping hand.
We've searched out plenty of options from cosy romantic hotels to fun-filled spots where families can have plenty of adventures (there's a reason it's hailed as one of the UK's best family-friendly destinations !).