With the opening of new bases at Rome Ciampino and Girona Barcelona airports early this year, Ryanair is taking to 11 its total number of European stations. The move comes after Ryanair announced a batch of new routes across its network as well as the closure of under-performing services.
According to the carrier's chief executive Michael O'Leary, the move demonstrates Ryanair's commitment to growth despite the ongoing investigation by the European Commission into claims it benefited from illegal state aid when setting up a base at Brussels Charleroi. "There has been far too much inaccurate speculation that the investigation will bring an end to Ryanair's growth. It won't," O'Leary says. "We have lots of new routes and new base opportunities at privately owned airports."
Ryanair will open its base at Rome on 28 January with four aircraft serving eight routes. The Girona Barcelona operation starts on 5 February with five aircraft serving 16 routes.
Ryanair is also starting nine daily routes from its Stansted, Skavsta, Hahn and Charleroi bases. Over the last 12 months, Ryanair says it has launched over 60 new routes. However, from mid-January it will axe services from Stansted to Ostend, Maastricht, Reims and Clermont Ferrand; Skavsta to Oslo Torp, Tampere and Aarhus; Hahn to Malmo; and Charleroi to Liverpool.
Source: Airline Business
