Reus & Girona

[djfwells]

Ryanair agree with AEAN to resume operations at Spain's Reus and Girona airports Ryanair to restore routes at Girona and Reus (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/4204-ryanair-to-restore-routes-at-girona-and-reus.html)

[wince]

Yes, the same local government that's applying austerity measures to public healthcare is now funding a private company with 6m EUR to stay in Girona and 3m EUR to stay in Reus. The deal is per year over a 5 year period...:D

[ssflyer]

I recall reading that up to 4000 jobs depend on the large presence of FR at Girona.
Certainly the base there has seen a dramatic improvement in facilities over the last 5 years. It used to be a hick airport but now has 4 new multistorey carparks, at least 10 rentacar operations and decent airside facilities.Over half the Pax are visiting the Costa Brava (much higher % in the summer) and the region has breathed a sigh of relief over the jobs saved. Incidentally, one understands that if FR had pulled the rug,others were waiting in the wings..

[peba]

so does this mean that reus will re open?I know that MOL said he would still fly there from bases next summer but any idea if they will base aircraft there again?

[jabird]

ssflyer, I'm not so sure.

I assume that the other 50% are heading for downtown Barcelona, one of Europe's most impressive cities, which really does have something for just about everyone (keep wallet well inside jacket pocket though....)

BCN has shiny new midfield terminal, space to fill in the old complex - as happened at MAD, except that BCN isn't a hub airport. So Ryanair are already in on this deal, and other airlines which might look at GRO are also already at BCN.

No doubt there is no shortage of holiday traffic for both REU and GRO that stays in the respective region, not BCN city, but for year round, weekend / short break trips, the airlines are always going to prefer BCN.

[captplaystation]

At most, May-Sep 50% of pax were "buckets & spades", but they could easily fly to BCN & accept the transfer time that the Barcelona pax accepted for years flying into GRO. The other seven months of the year all GRO pax were Barcelona bound. Apart from some carriers operating a few flts a week, and the usual moderate amount of traffic (mainly Fri-Sun) in the Summer season, Girona airport had only attracted very small fish indeed, & they knew it. They had to come up with the cash to save themselves having an enormous white elephant, constructed with public money, & a conspicious absence of passengers. At the moment there is a mere handful of flts a day, & chances are Ryanair would not have increased in Spring, two weeks ago everyone in fact was talking about current contract coming to an end in Dec & next year it would have been the sleepy little airport that it was in 2003 pre-Ryanair. The Generalitat put all their eggs in the Blue & Yellow basket & the last politician to get in power who renaged on an already done deal has had to eat humble pie.
Difficult to love O ' Leary, but anyone that makes politicians eat sh1t gets my vote :ok:

[ssflyer]

Good analysis.
Just one point. Transfer by road from BCN to anywhere North of , say Lloret ,is a minimum awful 90 minute drive but only 30 mins from GRO. For visitors further North then a much quicker and easier drive is from Perpignan which has been feeding the North of the Costa Brava for some time( but at a much higher air fare)
The hotels and tourist infrastructure (and property owners) are breathing a sigh of relief that the deal has been done.:D