A CHEAP air travel bonanza has been signalled by Ryanair, with plans for dozens of new routes from Scotland's largest airport over the next two years.
The news came as the no-frills airline confirmed plans for 12 additional links from Edinburgh, as The Scotsman revealed yesterday.
In one of the largest-ever routes announcements in Scotland, the country will gain its first flights to Bratislava i
n Slovakia – 40 miles from Vienna – and to Lodz in Poland.
Edinburgh will also gain a further four new routes: to Berlin, Bournemouth, Dusseldorf and Wroclaw in Poland.
Ryanair will compete with other airlines to Billund in Denmark, Krakow and Poznan in Poland, Malaga in Spain, Palma in Mallorca and Stockholm.
Most flights will start in September, with Dusseldorf from June. All the European routes will operate between two and four times a week.
Sean Coyle, Ryanair's director of scheduled revenue, told The Scotsman the airline would increase the number of aircraft based at Edinburgh from two in September to five in 2010 – which will herald significant further route expansion.
Yesterday's announcement will take Ryanair's routes from Edinburgh to 19 and comes two months after it unveiled its first five to continental Europe. The first, to Alicante on the Costa Blanca, starts on Tuesday.
Mr Coyle said a deal with airport operator BAA had followed "long and protracted" negotiations, after the airline had complained for years about high fees. Ryanair expects to carry 1.2 million passengers a year from Edinburgh – about a tenth of the airport's traffic – and to increase this to 2.5 million by 2012.
That could eclipse Ryanair's Scottish base at Prestwick, where its 25 routes carry nearly two million passengers a year.
Aviation experts said Ryanair was attempting to expand its way out of problems as its aircraft emptied.
Richard Havers, a former senior airline executive, said: "Last month, Ryanair's load factor (proportion of seats filled] slipped below 70 per cent to 69 per cent – the first time this has happened in five years.
"Load factor drives low-cost airlines' profitability, because they do not have the mix of fare types of other carriers. Ryanair is trying to buy extra traffic, but the level of remaining passenger demand is questionable."
BRATISLAVA THE Slovakian capital lies on the Danube and borders Austria and Hungary, making it handily placed for nearby Vienna. It has a charming small-town feel, with medieval towers and a population of just 426,000.
BOURNEMOUTHTHE Dorset seaside resort popularly known for retirement homes and bowling greens was found to be the happiest town in Britain in a survey last year thanks to its beaches, "abundant shops and buzzing nightlife".
BERLIN THE German capital draws tourists to its iconic new buildings such as the Norman Foster-designed Reichstag as well as historic landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie.
WROCLAWPOLAND'S hidden gem has gone under five names, been passed between four countries and seen the end of both fascism and communism. Gothic spires dominate the skyline above canals and cobbles.
LODZ LODZ is one of Poland's youngest cities. It is also at the heart of Polish art and counter-culture. The famous film school, founded in 1948, has nurtured the talent of Polanski, Wajda and Kieslowski.
DÜSSELDORF DÜSSELDORF is one of the world's most elegant cities: with Königsallee, featuring stylish shopping arcades and malls, and Schadowstrasse, which achieves the highest turnover of any German street.
The full article contains 581 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
