OK. So in future, despite commenting on a Ryanair thread, I will make it ultra clear that is it actually Ryanair that I'm talking about:rolleyes:

It just goes to show how many people actually forget the fact that this is a thread specific to Ryanair therefore any posts made should be related to Ryanair!

No you don't just consider the dynamic of your question.

To be part of this forum, one has to have quite in depth knowledge of "airlines, airports and routes" and with that in mind, I still fail to see how it was to the extent of misleading in the first place. I think all of us here know damn well that most airports in the UK have flights to Minorca operated by at least one carrier so even if my statement didn't seem to refer to Ryanair directly, it only requires a small amount of common sense to understand my point.

MOL to Maastricht
 

MOL will pay a visit to Maastricht on Wednesday with 'news'. Subject of the press conference is yet unknown. More info on that is to be expected on Monday.

Dutch source:
Topman Ryanair komt naar Maastricht-Airport met nieuws - Maastricht - dichtbij.nl - Maastricht

Menorca ...........

The CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, will be in Lisbon and Porto next Tuesday, then goes to Santander!

Normally the new bases are announced on Tuesdays!
Will be this time that Lisbon is announced as a new base?

In Porto, I think come talk to those already announced new routes (Dortmund, Nuremberg, Strasburgo, Lubeck and Clermont Ferrand) and possibly one or another routes!


Anyone knows something about it?

I think all the announcements are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It seems that way anyway. Will be interesting to see if Santander is a new base.

And just to clarify to you pwalhx, that's a base for Ryanair I'm talking about!:E

FR-

You can spell it either way. Minorca is the English spelling whilst Menorca is the Spanish spelling. Just like Majorca is the English spelling with Mallorca as the Spanish.

I don't know where Ibiza comes into it but Majorca and Minorca simply evolved their names through their size, hence:

MINOR-ca

and

MAJOR-ca

Since its the Ryanair forum, lets spell it how it is on the Ryanair route map.

No need to go over the top. Spelling it with an "I" is still correct and doesn't really compare to failing to recognise a comment is regarding Ryanair on a Ryanair thread (not blaming you onthat personally) but I'm English so I will say Minorca if I choose to.

ROUTEFLASH!!: Ryanair to open its first African bases in Marrakech and Fez

Exclusive: anna.aero has discovered that Ryanair will open two new bases in Morocco, less than six months after a spectacular public row with the state airports company, ONDA, in which it declared: “Ryanair cannot accept cost increases as it seeks to deliver more growth to Morocco; ONDA has now lost sight of the key to the success of our partnership.” Clearly relations have thawed considerably, to the extent that aircraft will now be based in the country, probably from April this year.

As base number 56 and 57 you would think that this would not be a big deal for the low-cost world, however the Irish carrier’s decision is significant as it represents the first time any European low-cost carrier has made the decision to base aircraft outside of its home continent. Our data elves can only think of Tiger Airways (based in Singapore, but with operations in Sydney and Melbourne) and Air Arabia (based in Sharjah but with bases in Alexandria and Casablanca) as being the only low-cost carriers with aircraft based in a different continent. (Before anyone writes in, we maintain that Ryanair’s three Canary Islands bases in Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Gran Canaria are technically in Europe).

Competing airlines on the rack, at RAK

Currently Ryanair is the third largest carrier at Marrakech, trailing slightly behind easyJet and national carrier Royal Air Maroc in terms of both weekly frequencies and seats. Even if Ryanair decides to base just one new aircraft at the airport, it would seem likely that it will become the dominant airline, although this will depend on the number of new routes that it plans to launch versus just simply reinstating the schedule on existing routes.

Looking at the biggest routes in Marrakech market today, Ryanair either already operates, or has plans to operate, to the largest markets: Paris (it already serves Beauvais four times weekly); London (two flights per week to London Luton restart on 02 February, and two flights per week to London Stansted from 03 February); Madrid (daily flights); Marseille (thrice weekly); and Milan (it serves Bergamo twice weekly).

Will Ryanair go domestic?

The obvious gaps in the existing network would be some services to Scandinavia, and more capacity into France to serve the obvious social links between the two counties. However, the biggest single market from Marrakech is domestic — with 28 weekly frequencies and over 3,200 weekly seats — is to Casablanca. So, with aircraft based at the airport, it will be interesting to see if Ryanair uses this opportunity launch domestic services within Morocco.
The situation at Fez Saïss Airport is very different. It is seven times smaller than Marrakech, and Ryanair is already the #1 airline in terms of weekly seats and flights – it only has five airlines serving the city probably most famous for the tarboosh felt hat. Route opportunities that Ryanair may well look to exploit could include re-starting London Stansted flights again (which were canned during the spat over charges last October with ONDA), Madrid (currently not served at the airport), more frequencies to France (Paris, Marseille and Montpellier are currently operated across all serving airlines) as well as Scandinavia.
As we close for press, there are also rumours that Michael O’Leary will be using the company jet this week to announce bases 58 and 59 at Lisbon and Santander. Typically Ryanair would normally start a base only after it has trialled the destination with some inbound flights from other bases, but currently it has no operations at Lisbon and if this plan comes to fruition it will become its third Portuguese base after Porto and Faro. The low-cost carrier already has a 17 route network from Santander operating domestically in Spain, as well as the three routes to the UK, two in Italy and one each in Germany and Belgium. Santander would become Ryanair’s eighth base in mainland Spain.

I see Ryanair are doing free golf club carriage to Faro for all UK deeps until end of March. You could use this to your advantage as it is 20kg each way for free, simply pack your luggage in a golf bag travel case and bob's your uncle 20kg free luggage.

The check in staff should be checking that only golf clubs are in the case and not clothes.

MOL will come to visit also France tomorrow. Coming from Marseille, he's expected in Beauvais later the same day. Interestingly enough, it will be only second visit of Ryanair's CEO to Beauvais. The first one happened back in 1997, when the first DUB route to this airport (to France?) was announced.

Edit. Btw., the rumoured base in Lisbon is NOT coming yet.

At check in I believe they are playing by R&A rules. Max 14 clubs or else...

Does anyone know if FR are to add new routes at Magdeburg (CSO)? The airport stated that a further announcement is set for the end of January and I was just wondering if this announcement involves FR.

Presumably Morocco has an 'Open Skies' agreement with the EU, but would they allow a foreign airline to operate domestically?

Routes from Targu Mures will be announced tomorrow. Dublin and Pisa are expected but not know if any others, would be suprised if STN was not announced.

Bases at Marrakech and Fez confirmed, new airports: Rabat and Essaouira
 

First Non-EU Bases Announced - Fez & Marrakech



Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low cost airline, today (16 Jan) announced it would open two new bases in Morocco in 2013, at Fez (No 56) and Marrakech (No 57) with a total of three based-aircraft, as Ryanair invests over $210 million in Morocco. Ryanair also announced two new Moroccan airports, at Essaouira and Rabat as it grows its operations in Morocco in 2013 to 60 routes and 8 airports, which will deliver up to 2.5m passenger p.a. and support 2,500* “on-site” jobs in Morocco.

Ryanair will grow in Morocco in 2013 as follows:

Fez (new base):
· 1 based aircraft

• 15 routes
• 4 new routes: Lille, Nantes, Nimes & St Etienne
• 600,000 pax p.a
• 600* “on site” jobs

Marrakech (new base):
· 2 based aircraft

• 22 routes
• 7 new routes: Baden, Bergerac, Cuneo (Italy), Dole (France), Munich, Paris (Vatry) & Tours
• 1m pax p.a
• 1,000* “on site” jobs

Essaouira (new airport):
· 2 routes: Brussels & Marseille

Rabat (new airport):
· 3 routes: Brussels, Paris & Marseille

Ryanair celebrated its 2 new Moroccan bases and 8 airports by launching a 100,000 seat sale with fares starting from €15 for travel across its European network in February and March, which are available for booking until midnight (24:00hrs) Monday (21 Jan). Ryanair’s new Moroccan routes will begin in April and will go on sale on www.ryanair.com tomorrow.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Ryanair is delighted to announce our first 2 bases in Morocco at Fez (No 56) and Marrakech (No 57) and to launch 2 new Morocco airports at Essaouira and Rabat, with flights starting in April. To celebrate our new Moroccan bases and airports, we are launching a 100,000 seat sale with fares starting from €15 for travel across Europe in February and March. Seats at these crazy low prices will be snapped up quickly, so we urge passengers to book them immediately on www.ryanair.com.”

Dr. Lahcen Haddad, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Morocco said:

“The Moroccan tourism sector is very proud of the confidence Ryanair is showing in the capacity of the Moroccan destination to grow and develop to become a leading market in the Mediterranean region. This long-term commitment, as shown in the implementation of two bases in Fez and Marrakesh, and the opening of two new destinations (Essaouira and Rabat), is the first stage of a comprehensive strategy aiming, for Ryanair, to build a profitable business based on the huge growth potential of Moroccan tourism, as planned within the framework of Vision 2020. The Moroccan Ministry of tourism is convinced that an efficient growth strategy can only succeed if it takes into consideration the emergence of new tourism products, the need for an adequate air service as well as for an efficient marketing activity. Through MNTO, we will strengthen our marketing efforts in the main source markets at which Ryanair will increase its air services to Morocco.”


* ACI research confirms up to 1,000 ‘on-site’ jobs are sustained at international airports for every 1m passengers

Targu Mures
 

NEW ROUTES from Targu Mures (Romania) starting April 2013:

Targu Mures (TGM) - Brussels Charleroi (CRL)
Targu Mures (TGM) - Pisa (PSA)