Ryanair's 12 new routes from Bristol Airport
Budget airline Ryanair defied the credit crunch today to launch 12 new European routes from Bristol International Airport - creating 100 new jobs.
The Irish airline now has 33 routes from Bristol - just seven fewer than arch-rival easyjet, which flies to 40 destinations from Lulsgate.
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Ryanair has spent £180 million on two new Boeing 737 aircraft to service the routes, bringing its total of Bristol-based aircraft to four.
The 12 new scheduled Ryanair routes from Bristol Airport include Limoges, Toulon, Montpellier and Perpignan in France; Trieste, Rimini and Cagliari in Italy; Malta, and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The routes also include Spanish flights to Alicante, Barcelona Reus and Seville, where Filton plane giant Airbus has a major plant.
All new flights will begin in July, except Eindhoven, whose flights begin on March 31.
The new routes mean Bristol Airport now flies to 119 destinations across Europe and worldwide.
Lesley Kane, Ryanair's head of sales and marketing, said: "We hope the new routes will help create 100 new Ryanair jobs at Bristol Airport, in addition to our current staff of 100, as well as sustain 1,600 local jobs in associated airport services such as engineering and ground crews.
"We estimate the new routes will help generate 180 million euros of inbound tourist revenues to Bristol and its surrounding regions next year.
"We were in contact with Airbus and knew it wanted a permanent Seville flight to take staff to its base there - the alternative was going to Gatwick.
"The new flights are part of a long-term plan we have in the South West - we see this as a huge growth area for us and you may see some more new Ryanair flights announced from Bristol this year."
Shaun Browne, aviation director at Bristol Airport said: "The launch of 12 new routes shows the strength of the market in the South West.
"Routes such as Cagliari and Rimini provide exciting new possibilities for leisure passengers, whicle the new service to Seville will be well used by the local aerospace industry."
In September, Ryanair faced criticism after it suspended five of its flights over the winter, including Porto in Portugal, the French city of Pau, Salzburg in Austria, Rzeszow in Poland and Budapest in Hungary.
It blamed rising fuel costs and excessive airport taxes for the move, although yesterday Ms Kane insisted the new routes were not seasonal and would operate year-round.
4 Comments
by Bob, Downend
Thursday, January 15 2009, 10:44AM
“MendipMan. Where have you heard these rumours? Are you in "aviation circles"?
That would be more great news for Bristol.
I would like some Eastern European routes like Sofia, Bucharest etc, and bring back Scandinavian routes too (SAS).”
by Fu Manchu, Swindon
Thursday, January 15 2009, 4:05AM
“This is great news for me as we fly regularly to Montpellier to visit my wife's family. Until now, we have had to drive to either Gatwick (easyjet) or Stansted (Ryanair) to get to Montpellier. I much prefer being able to fly from Bristol.
It's just a shame that Ryanair flights are so excruciatingly painful... even flying easyjet is more comfortable - and that's saying something!
Firstly, there are all the hidden charges in their 'cheap fares' (charges for putting suitcases in the plane's hold, a £10 charge just to be able to check in at the airport, a £5 'transaction processing' charge, a wheelchair levy even though I don't need one, etc...). Also, there is the incessant advertising they insist on broadcasting from the moment you board the plane, such as prepaid telephone calling cards for "just 10 euro"... it drives me mad. Not to mention the uncomfortable and cramped seats and their god-awful, gaudy colour scheme!
Their flights may be cheap (but not as cheap as they advertise on their homepage!) but with Ryanair you certainly get what you pay for... and nothing else.
If only easyjet would copy Ryanair and offer flights to Montpellier from Bristol. Please, Stelios, do us all a favour and operate the same route!”
by MendipMan, Wurzel Country
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 7:46PM
“The Post report only paints half a picture. Ryanair may have suspended some routes for the winter but in their places brought in new routes to Marrakech, Gdansk, Szcezecin, Turin (competing with charter services) and Grenoble (competing with easyJet and also charter services). Furthermore, Budapest and Rzeszow were only suspended for six weeks in November and early December in a row with those airports over charges, and all flights on every route the airline operates to those airports were suspended for that period, not just those from Bristol..
This move confirms strong rumours in aviation circles in recent weeks that Ryanair was about to increase its number of based aircraft at Bristol, with further rumours that they will increase to six later in the year or next year.
Rumours also abound that easyJet will return to 12 based aircraft in the summer.”
by Bob, Downend
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 5:49PM
“Great news for the airport and great news for the local economy. There are a lot of interesting destinations in the list and it all helps in getting more tourists into Bristol too. Well done Ryanair (and Easyjet for that matter). They are both helping make Bristol Airport into a great airport. I for one dont see the need to drive to London anymore to use an airport. Keep the new routes coming (and ignore the "green" minority!!!)”