29/10/2007

Competition Hots Up As easyJet Strikes First

Expansion by easyJet at Belfast International Airport is coming just weeks before Aer Lingus opens its controversal Belfast hub.

The move will pitch both airlines against Jet2 on the Barcelona route and easyJet alone against Jet2 on the Prague route.

The budget airline has today revealed that its £120 million investment will see a sixth aircraft being based in Belfast with the creation of around 50 jobs.

Twice weekly flights to Gdansk in Poland start tomorrow, followed by flights to Prague four times a week and Venice twice a week on Thursday. Flights three times a week to Barcelona begin this weekend.

The services increase to 23 the number of destinations the airline offers from Belfast International Airport.

It predicts it will carry 140,000 people on the four routes over the coming year - increasing its passenger numbers to close on 3.3 million annually. In July it flew its 20 millionth passenger from Belfast.

Aer Lingus has abandoned its important Shannon to London Heathrow route in favour of the Belfast hub, sparking anger locally and questions in the Dáil.

(BMcC)

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