LIVERPOOL John Lennon airport (JLA) has vowed to find a new operator offering access to a global hub, after KLM’s shock withdrawal of its route.

The Dutch carrier launched its three times a day service between JLA and Amsterdam in March, 2009, providing a feeder service to Schipol for 550 routes flown by KLM and its 10 Sky Team partners.

Its link has proved popular with tourists and businesses, particularly routes to Liverpool’s twin city of Shanghai.

But the airline announced yesterday that it will cease operations on March 25, after a network review due to the tough economic climate.

KLM Air France UK and Ireland general manager Henri Hourcade said: “We launched Liverpool in 2009, at a time of economic uncertainty, when many airlines were reducing their networks – especially out of the regions – and cutting capacity.

“We went against the grain and had encouraging results for the first two years.

“However, the continued economic downturn has meant that, as a company, we have had to make some tough decisions across our global network, and unfortunately Liverpool is a casualty of that process.”

The airline will maintain its existing routes at 23 other UK airports, including Manchester and Newcastle.

It is understood Liverpool has suffered as a result of a boardroom shake-up that has led to the start of a series of cut-backs.

Passenger figures and load factors – the amount of available seats sold – on the route had been good, even compared with other KLM UK routes.

But Craig Richmond, chief executive of JLA parent group Peel Airports, said: “It’s not just about one route, it’s how it stacks up against others. Even if it’s doing OK, there may be somewhere it could be great.”