Ryanair has today announced that they will return to Belfast International with a robust schedule from Summer 2023. The carrier will start with 12 routes and over 115 weekly flights including fun and sun destinations like Alicante, Faro and Malaga.
On Thursday (July 7, 2022), Ryanair announced the reopening of their Belfast International base from summer 2023. The carrier’s Belfast fleet will include two based aircraft, representing a $200 million investment, and the base will support 60 highly paid aviation jobs and over 650 indirect jobs. The Belfast International base will start with 12 routes and over 115 weekly flights, including service to popular holiday destinations such as Alicante, Faro and Malaga. Ryanair will also serve key cities from Belfast such as Edinburgh, London-Stansted, Manchester, Milan-Bergamo, Barcelona-Girona and Paris-Beauvais.
Speaking from Belfast, Ryanair’s Director of Commercial, Jason McGuinness, said,
“At a time when other airlines are cutting their schedules and reducing their workforce, we are delighted to announce a new Ryanair base at Belfast International Airport with 12 exciting routes and 2 based aircraft representing an investment of $200m at Belfast International and the creation of over 800 direct/indirect jobs. We are delighted to have reached a long-term agreement with Belfast International’s management, which will underpin future Ryanair growth at the Airport over the coming years. Today’s announcement, particularly our decision to launch close to 80 weekly domestic flights to/from East-Midlands, Edinburgh, London-Stansted and Manchester demonstrates that lower aviation taxes and competitive airport charges are the catalyst for long-term traffic growth and increased connectivity.
“To enable additional investment from Ryanair (and other airlines) from next Summer onward, the UK Government must immediately scrap aviation taxes for all flights, otherwise it will put the UK (an island-based economy) at risk of losing air traffic to competing European countries. To celebrate today’s announcement, we are launching a seat sale with fares available from £19.99 for travel from April’23 until June’23, which must be booked by the end of July’22. Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and book early to avoid missing out.”
Also commenting on the base reopening, Belfast International Airport’s Chief Financial Officer, Dan Owens, said,
“We welcome back Ryanair to Belfast International Airport, Northern Ireland’s leading airport.
The Airport plays a pivotal role and is a key asset in aviation and tourism recovery after a challenging couple of years. This is a significant investment, bringing job creation and positive news for our passengers and the region. It increases the number of destinations now available from the airport to over 70 domestic and international destinations, offering more choice than ever for travellers. The new base at Belfast International reflects VINCI Airports’ commitment to Northern Ireland. Improving connectivity for the region is key for the aviation sector and economic growth. VINCI Airports and Ryanair have a strong partnership and Belfast now brings the total of bases across our European network to six.”
Ryanair Holdings, plc is Europe’s largest airline conglomerate and the parent company of Buzz, Lauda, Malta Air, and Ryanair DAC. The airline carries over 150 million passengers annually with more than 2,500 daily departures. Ryanair serves over 200 destinations in 40 countries with a fleet of 505 aircraft including 409 Boeing 737NGs, 67 Boeing 737-8200s and 29 Airbus A320s (with Lauda). Currently, the low-cost carrier has nearly 150 Boeing 737-8200s on order, and will grow their fleet to 600+ aircraft by 2026. Ryanair has maintained a stellar safety record for nearly 40 years and prides itself on being “Europe’s greenest cleanest airline group,” promising customers a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 50%, versus the “Big 4 EU major airlines.”
Source: Ryanair