THE Duke of York was given a special tour of Chesterford Research Park before heading to Stansted Airport on Wednesday. Prince Andrew, the UK s special representative for international trade and investment, had lunch at the science park which is located n

THE Duke of York was given a special tour of Chesterford Research Park before heading to Stansted Airport on Wednesday.

Prince Andrew, the UK's special representative for international trade and investment, had lunch at the science park which is located near to Saffron Walden and spoke to leading research and development tenants.

The prince was shown around the facility by Martin Sylvester, marketing director for science park developers Churchmanor Estates.

After a tour of the science park the prince headed to Stansted Airport's control tower where he met the inaugural flight of AirAsia X.

The low-cost long-haul carrier will fly between Stansted and Kuala Lumpur five times a week. The Malaysia-based airline will use Airbus A340-300 aircraft configured for 286 passengers.

"We are extremely grateful to His Royal Highness for taking the time to visit Stansted and for making this significant day even more special for everyone connected with the airport and AirAsia X.

Stansted's commercial and development director Nick Barton said: "The arrival today of the first low-cost, long-haul flight linking Stansted to Asia and beyond is an important milestone for the airport and the development of long-haul air travel around the world.

"Stansted has become Europe's point-to-point airport of choice for the low-cost market, so it's fitting that AirAsia X selected us as the gateway to connect its extensive route network out of Kuala Lumpur into the UK.

"The cultural and business opportunities associated with this new direct service speak for themselves, and advance bookings prove how popular it is set to be, particularly with business and leisure passengers seeking affordable long-haul travel options.

"We're delighted to officially welcome AirAsia X to Stansted today; we wish them every success for the future, and look forward to supporting them as they develop their services here at Stansted.