The popular low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair will launch 14 new routes from London’s Luton and Stansted airports as well as Gatwick.
The new routes are part of a winter season schedule that will see the LCC operate a combined 142 routes from the three London hubs. According to Ryaniar’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, at least some of the new London routes will be operated with the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the extra capacity version of the MAX, for which Ryanair is the launch customer.
“Ryanair is committed to re-building London’s tourism industry, jobs and connectivity as we grow across Europe and recover air travel to pre-COVID levels. As Ryanair takes delivery of 55 Boeing 737-800 ‘gamechanger’ aircraft this winter, we are delighted to announce these 14 new routes from our three London airports in Stansted, Luton and Gatwick,” O’Leary said.
With the travel industry now showing signs of recovery, Ryanair’s growth continues to lead traffic tourism recovery and jobs in the UK. The airline also plans to create more than 500 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers this winter at its London airports as it gears up for further fleet and route growth in 2022.
O’Leary is also continuing to push for the UK Government to scrap PCR tests for fully vaccinated arrivals in line with the rise in consumer confidence for air travel. He is also calling for the suspension of air passenger duty (APD) to allow airlines and airports to recover connectivity, jobs and tourism in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.
“APD makes UK airports uncompetitive against lower cost EU airports, which is why Ryanair has added capacity at other EU airports in recent months in the likes of Zagreb, Stockholm, Billund and Riga,” he stated. “While Ryanair is committed to its London airports, the lack of Government support for aviation and tourism recovery creates further barriers to traffic and growth.”
Ryanair’s 14 new winter 2021 routes include Stansted to Helsinki, Oradeo, Stockholm, Tampere, Trapani, Treviso and Zagreb. From Luton it will serve Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Grenoble, Naples, Shannon and Turin, while from Gatwick it will serve Malaga.
