CHRISTMAS shoppers could be able to jet off to New York this year from Oxford.

Airport chiefs hope a one-off December flight – via Dublin – will pave the way for more regular services to global destinations.

They are in talks with KLM CityJet and Aer Lingus to expand the Kidlington business after its trade in training flights lost out to flight simulators.

Head of customer services and route development David Surley believes there is a high demand for a transatlantic route from both county residents and American tourists.

He said: “In the current economic climate, most airlines are not risk-friendly but the good thing about the Oxford market is it is considered to be high value and affluent. Oxford is seen very much as a rising star.”

He said: “We have been approached by several airlines.”

Adding it could take four years to start new routes to Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam and Munich, he said: “We don’t have a runway to accommodate low-cost carriers. We will never have the likes of easyJet and Ryanair.”

Planes are restricted to 100 seats because the length of the runway cannot be extended, and can only fly from 6am to midnight.

Prices for the return December 7-12 New York trip start at £795 for the flight to JFK via Dublin and rise to £1,625 including hotels. The Dublin flight alone is £295.

A 90-seater KLM-Cityjet Avro RJ-85 would leave Oxford at midday, arriving at Dublin at 1.10pm, leaving for JFK at 3.45pm, and arriving at 6.20pm EST.

The return flight leaves JFK at 8.40pm on December 11 and arr-ives at Oxford at 12.10pm next day.

Journeys at a similar outbound time to JFK from Heathrow on comparison website Expedia yesterday ranged from £343 to £371.

David Gambier, managing director of Oxford Airport Travel, the tour operator behind the plan, said: “Through the success of this charter operation and subsequent programmeswe are trying to convince operators to put an Oxford link to their schedules.”

Flights are more expensive because smaller aircraft are more costly to run but passengers save by flying closer to home.

Kidlington Parish Council member Chris Pack said some residents would be concerned. He said: “Any extra traffic, just like extra traffic on roads, can have an impact upon noise nuisance.”