Ryanair has made a major investment in Scotland by adding one new aircraft and six new destinations to its network from Edinburgh Airport. The new destinations, which will be available during summer 2023, are Belfast, Bournemouth, Cornwall, London Stansted, Rhodes, and Venice, bringing the total number of routes to 69.
The budget carrier has also increased the frequency on over 30 of its Edinburgh routes and will base one new aircraft in the Scottish capital, increasing its fleet to 11 and creating over 30 high-paying jobs for pilots and cabin crew.
This is part of a $1.1 billion investment and is expected to result in 25% more capacity compared to last year, with 4.7 million passengers anticipated this year. Another announcement is expected next week regarding routes from Glasgow.
Ryanair has expressed support for the UK government’s decision to cut air passenger duty for domestic travel by 50% starting in April but stated that this reduction does not address the importance of international connectivity for the growth of the UK’s economy and tourism.
The budget carrier is calling for the full abolition of APD for all travel, arguing that this will not only boost tourism but also support the essential connectivity required for the UK, which is an island-based economy.
Dara Brady, of Ryanair, said: “As the UK’s no.1 airline for low fares and reliability, Ryanair is pleased to announce our new Edinburgh schedule for Summer 2023, with six exciting new routes to Belfast, Bournemouth, Cornwall, London Stansted, Rhodes and Venice, offering Edinburgh customers/visitors even more choice for their summer holidays at the lowest fares in Europe.”
He said: “This record 2023 schedule will see the addition of one new based aircraft (11 total), representing another $100m investment in Edinburgh Airport ($1.1bn total) and supporting over 330 highly paid pilot and crew jobs, as Ryanair continues to deliver more traffic, connectivity, and lower fares than any other airline for the UK.
“However, if we are to continue to grow and to drive recovery and connectivity to the UK, Prime Minister Sunak must immediately scrap APD in full for all travel (not just domestic travel) and provide incentives for airlines like Ryanair to stimulate growth and recovery for the UK and its regions.”
Kate Sherry, aviation director at Edinburgh Airport, said: “With six fantastic new routes, and increased frequency to many of Europe’s most popular destinations, the arrival of Ryanair’s summer schedule for ’23 is great news for our passengers – as is the introduction of the new cleaner, quieter Boeing 737 Gamechanger aircraft for many of these flights.
“It is always our aim to offer as much choice as possible from Edinburgh and the announcement of this schedule comes as we continue to build towards a strong summer season at the airport.
“This investment, which will also see an additional Ryanair aircraft based at EDI, is a real show of faith in the market – illustrating the growing demand for travel we’re seeing at Edinburgh.”
Calendar of Edinburgh-Belfast flights
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