MAXjet, the airline that launched all-business-class services between Stansted and New York JFK in November, has this week launched a four times a week service from Stansted to Washington Dulles.

The Washington service operates on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving Stansted at 1pm arriving in Washington at 4.30pm the same day. The return flight departs Washington at 7.30pm and arrives in London Stansted at 8.30am the following day. Fares start at £999 return including taxes and charges.

In recent weeks, there has been considerable speculation about the number of passsegners using MAXjet’s JFK service and rival services on the same route offered by Eos Airlines, which launched within two weeks of each other at the end of last year.

However, MAXjet has released figures which it says refutes the claims that the services are not popular. Load factor for the airline in March was an average 50 per cent, with one flight at the end of March fully booked. It also says that it expects to achieve a load factor of 70 per cent in the month of April.

MAXjet’s chief executive Gary Rogliano says: “There has been a great deal of speculation about the success of our business model, but the figures speak for themselves. We have managed to build up our loads as quick, if not quicker than any airline has developed a new international route. Today we launch our second plane from Stansted, and we are negotiating for our third and fourth planes to expand the MAXjet fleet.”

More information 0800 023 4300, www.maxjet.com