From Bournemouth Echo website
Date Published: Wednesday 18 June 2003
Ryanair plans new air routes
by Jonathan Slater
SUN-kissed destinations in Italy, France and Spain and cheap fares could be on the cards for passengers from Bournemouth International Airport in the near future.
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has earmarked Bournemouth as one of its key bases for expansion over the next couple of years, a period in which it aims to become Europe's No.1 airline.
The company is keen to capitalise on the burgeoning success of its new route to Glasgow, and while it acknowledges the upset caused by the controversial cancellation of the Buzz flights earlier this year, it says local people will reap rich long-term benefits from Ryanair's continued presence and investment.
UK sales manager Kathryn Munro discussed the airline's future plans during a visit to Bournemouth to promote a new £19.99 special summer fare.
She said the response to the Glasgow service since its launch in February has been "absolutely fantastic", with planes carrying loads at more than 80 per cent capacity, sparking plans to eventually increase the frequency to two flights per day.
"We have had a good mixture of business and leisure custom, with people travelling for up to an hour-and-a-half to fly from both Bournemouth and Glasgow," she explained.
"It is not just the budget prices which attract people to Bournemouth, but things like low-cost parking and the fact that it is much more hassle-free than other airports."
The launch of the service coincided with Ryanair's controversial decision to axe the Buzz services due to start from Bournemouth following the takeover of its low-cost rival, telling holidaymakers who had bought 55,000 tickets that the routes to places such as Amsterdam and Paris were not financially viable.
But Kathryn said the Hurn complex loomed large in Ryanair's future expansion prospects.
"We have ordered 125 new planes over the next few years, and are looking to develop new bases and routes across Europe," she said.
"There is no doubt destinations to France, Spain and Italy would work from Bournemouth, but we have to make sure our existing routes deliver first - and we are almost there."
The £19.99 fare deal, which covers flights in early July and mid-late September, expires midnight tomorrow (June 19).
