Ryanair, an Ireland-based low fares airline, has said that it will launch 12 new routes from London Stansted in April 2014.
The airline will also add frequencies on 17 existing routes, which will deliver an additional 1,300,000 passengers p.a. and support 1,300 new on-site jobs at London Stansted Airport. The carrier, which presently serves 126 routes from the airport, will increase its weekly flights from the base from 430 to 600.
The 12 new routes being introduced are to Basel, Bordeaux, Brive, Bucharest, Comiso, Dortmund, Lisbon, Osijek, Podgorica, Prague, Rabat and Skelleftea.
Of the new routes, Lisbon will have the highest frequency at 28 weekly flights. Bordeaux and Rabat will gain six weekly flights each, while Basel, Bucharest, Dortmund and Prague will get 14 flights a week. Four weekly flights will be launched between Brive, Comiso, Osijek, Podgorica and Skelleftea, Routes News said in an online report.
Out of the 17 routes with increased frequencies, the largest increases will be to Barcelona (28 to 56 weekly); Madrid (28 to 56); Milan/Berg (42 to 56); and Rome (42 to 56), it added.
The route expansion is part of Ryanair’s 10-year growth agreement with operator, Manchester Airports Group (MAG). Under the 10-year deal, which comes into effect next April, Ryanair will boost its existing passengers from Stansted from 13.2 mppa to 20 mppa.
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said: ‘Ryanair is pleased to deliver 12 new Europe routes to/from Stansted to Basel, Bordeaux, Brive, Bucharest, Comiso, Dortmund, Lisbon, Osijek, Podgorica, Prague, Rabat and Skelleftea, as well as increased frequencies on 17 existing routes, which will deliver over 1,300,000 additional passengers per annum and sustain over 1,300 ‘on-site’ jobs at Stansted Airport. As Stansted’s biggest airline, Ryanair looks forward to growing traffic, routes and jobs at Stansted.’
MAG’s chief executive, Charlie Cornish, said: ‘Today’s announcement by Ryanair is fantastic news for Stansted, the region and the passengers who rely on the airport to provide a connection to and from all parts of Europe. The new destinations and increase in flights on key routes will offer passengers and businesses even more choice at great value and build on the strength of Ryanair’s extensive network at Stansted, the airline’s largest base in Europe. Ryanair is an important and valued customer for Stansted and M.A.G. We’re delighted to support the airline’s expansion plans for next summer with this announcement coming hot on the heels of our joint 10 year growth agreement.’
