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Ryanair announces a new base at Belfast International Airport

Ryanair has announced that it is coming back to Belfast International Airport in Northern Ireland next summer with flights to 12 cities across Europe.

Ryanair will reopen its base at Belfast International Airport. The airline will connect Belfast with 12 cities, which are:

  • Alicante
  • Faro
  • London Stansted
  • Manchester
  • Barcelona-Girona
  • Malaga
  • East Midlands
  • Edinburgh
  • Milan-Bergamo
  • Paris-Beiauvais
  • Krakow
  • Gdansk

Ryanair will operate a total of 115-weekly flights out of Belfast International. Ryanair’s Belfast based fleet will comprise of 2 aircraft, representing a $200m investment and over 60 highly paid aviation jobs at Belfast International Airport and over 650 indirect jobs.

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Jason McGuinness, Director of Commercial, Ryanair, 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 its return to Belfast International, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares available from just £19.99 which must be booked by the end of July 2022 for travel from April 2023 – June 2023, only on the Ryanair.com website.

Dan Owens, Chief Financial Officer, Belfast International Airport, 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.

Featured image by Ryanair

What do you think of Ryanair returning to Belfast International? Let me know in the comments section below.

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