Ryanair to Switzerland?
 

Hi, I am not sure if this is really the site for such a question, but there seems to be quite a few topics on Ryanair growth here so I will take the plunge. Can anyone here provide any update on the seemingly serious rumours about Ryanair starting services to Basle/ Mulhouse/Freiburg. Around October, rumours were rife about a BSL-LTN service.

It would certainly be an interesting departure from the usual Ryanair airports, considering Basel is pretty much a full-service airport, housing the Crossair Eurocross hub. The Basel region is a wealthy one, with quite a lot of industry (especially pharmaceutical) Low-cost airlines seem to be easily accepted in Switzerland (okay, Basel airport is technically France) looking at how easily Easy Jet was accepted in Geneva (even by business people)

It would also be interesting to see how Ryanair would market Basel, considering that there is no way it could be called a Zurich Region Airport (despite it being only around 1 hour from Zurich itself) Here are the driving times from Basel to key Swiss cities:

Zurich: 1 hour and 20 minutes (57 minutes by train from Basel HB, there are plans for a railway station at the airport in the near-future). .Bern: 1 hour 20 minutes (under an hour by train) . .Lugano: 3 hours. .Luzern: 1 hour and 15 minutes. .Lausanne: 2 hours. .Fribourg: 1 hour and 35 minutes. . .Neuchatel (site of the 2002 World Expo): 1 hour and 45 minutes. .Geneva: 2 hours and 35 minutes (around same by train)

This means that you have the vast majority of the Swiss population within relatively easy reach. All these (except for Geneva, Lugano and Lausanne) are less than the 1 hour and 50 minute Hahn to Frankfurt trip (which a big part is on national roads, while all the cities mentioned above can be completed on motorways)

It is also obviously close to the relatively populated Alsace, Lorraine and Franche Compte regions in France and the Baden-Wurtemberg region in Germany. (for instance, Strasburg in France is only 1 hour and 20 minutes away)

Thanks for any replies, very much appreciated.

Jeremiah

I have heard this rumour as well but don't know whether it's true or not. Nothing has been said by Ryanair yet regarding new routes but apparently the new routes for the summer schedule will be revealed at some stage over next week, so we'll just have to see.

Hello,

TheflyingIrishman, thanks for your reply. Was a bit dissapointed not to see Basel (or any other Swiss airport) included in recently announced routes. Well Friedrichafen could nearly be called Switzerland (reasonably close to St Gallen, well on the other side of Constance lake)

Jeremiah

flysr4ever, according to the MOL Map of the World Friedrichshafen is located in the Swiss heartland!