Updated: Ryanair planning more services next summer
Ryanair is to introduce new routes linking Malta to Liverpool, Gotenburg and Milan/Bergamo, the low cost airline's Deputy Chief Executive Michael Cawley said this evening.
Ryanair will operate daily flights to Milan, twice weekly to Gotenburg and three times a week to Liverpool from the end of March. The service to Liverpool will operate all the year round.
He said the three routes are expected to bring 60,000 additional tourists to Malta.
Mr Cawley said Ryanair will hold a seat-sale between tomorrow and Thursday for flights in January across the network costing from €8.
Ryanair is planning to have 170 weekly flights to and from Malta across 30 routes next summer.
It is currently operating 36 weekly flights from Malta on its winter schedule after having operated 75 at the height of last summer.
Its current destinations include Madrid, six destinations in the UK, six to Italy, one to Ireland (Dublin), one to Sweden (Stockholm Skavsta), one to France (Marseille) and one to the Netherlands (Eindhoven).
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Jesmond Chetcuti
Dec 18th 2012, 08:38
Easy Jet needs to take over the Glasgow route now....Airmalta gave it up years ago now and no one took over....at least Ryanair are flying to Edinburgh and Prestwick but the Glasgow route will put the icing on the cake....
chris sullivan
Dec 18th 2012, 08:19
Isn't it about time, the EU started to fund flights out of Malta, as Malta must be the only place in Europe where you have to get away every 3 or 4 weeks to recharge and keep your sanity. The Eu should subsidise non popular european routes, Malta is isolated, and routing is restricted to uk, italy and a couple of others. Cant the Eu see that maltese citizens are stranded and are going bonkers
Mr Peter Korsten
Dec 18th 2012, 09:05
This obsession with subsidies by a certain part of the Maltese population is more than a little worrying.
M Cachia
Dec 18th 2012, 11:46
It's extremely worrying Mr. Korsten, as well as being highly annoying to people who understand subsidies come from our collective taxes
Mario Micallef
Dec 18th 2012, 08:13
For all those interested too...Air Baltic will start to operate direct to Riga Latvia come next May once a week! sounds like a good connection too there
JUANITA BUSUTTIL
Dec 18th 2012, 07:04
you should also try Budapest. A lot of Maltese students are studying there and flight to and from Malta are way too expensive. Air Malta only fly out half the year and flights are always way too high.
Gustav Svensson
Dec 18th 2012, 06:05
Fantastic news for me!! This is tough news for Air Malta..I now have a direct flight for less then 50% of what AM would charge me.
Paul Kew
Dec 17th 2012, 23:14
Hidden costs apply to Air Malta too. Prices quoted do not include Air Tax until you accept. Ryanair price inclused any tax and now shows admin fee.
A. Mifsud
Dec 17th 2012, 23:10
milan/bergamo... a very wise solution by Ryanair indeed, especially now that airmalta have given up on the Verona route and reduced LIN / MXP frequencies.
I cannot understand who makes the KM strategies nowadays. Anyway well done Ryanair!
Arthur Pule'
Dec 17th 2012, 22:24
Bergamo is not in Milan. It is a different city about 40km - 50km away from Milan. This is false advertising. Just like how they advertised the Girona/Barcelona route. It's either Girona or Barcelona, they're different cities. It's good that they are offering more routes but they should be advertising them correctly.
Mario Micallef
Dec 18th 2012, 10:07
30mins by bus...is not a big deal..now u have choice...either go to linate to be in central milan or go to bergamo and get a bus...better than no choice
A. Mifsud
Dec 24th 2012, 09:52
but then again Mr. Pule' , Milan Malpensa is not Milan either. It's Varese...and its an hour away from Milan centre. An hour if you're lucky with the traffic. So bergamo is for Ryanair on the east what Malpensa is for others to the west.
Anthony Arpa
Dec 17th 2012, 22:21
I went on so many holidays and new destinations with Ryanair .....One must just read the flight rules and one will be sure that nothing more hidden he will find ... I have just enjoyed great cheap flights ,so more great holidays thanks to Ryanair ...
Mr Tim Ripard
Dec 17th 2012, 22:12
Can't understand why they don't fly to central Europe from Malta. Ryanair, why not try Vienna or Bratislava?
ALFRED QUINTANO
Dec 17th 2012, 20:56
Charming ... 3 'new' routes by Ryanair ... Liverpool and Milan operated this past summer and just dropped by easyJet ... Ryanair this winter dropped all the routes between Spain and Malta as well as all the Scandinavian routes such as Oslo and Stockholm leaving many Scandinavians who had rented property in Malta high and dry ... One wonders if they will be getting 25 euro subsidy per passenger ...
A M Bonello
Dec 17th 2012, 20:46
Not very exciting routes!
HENRY FENECH AZZOPARDI
Dec 17th 2012, 20:46
Another positive issue for tourism. Malta will end up in the Guinness book of records for the number of records broken. Dr. Gonzi has steered the ship to port, where others would have abandoned it. Simon now joined the team and the PL have already initiated a mud slinging campaign to discredit him. No wonder Dr.Anglu Farrugia was going round in circles. who's next? Dr. Toni Abela?
anthony vella
Dec 18th 2012, 08:45
Why everything is politics,take a rest enjoy Christmas festivities.
m farrugia
Dec 18th 2012, 09:55
can we have a guarantee by labour that all subsidies to lcc airlines will be retained? these subsidies were previously given to mta as part of marketing budget. it makes much more sense to market malta on ryanair website. the absence of malta from ryanair website had led to a disaster in tourism arrivals, not to mention benefits to maltese travellers - maltese can now travel up to 4 times a year.
Alan Kay
Dec 17th 2012, 20:39
Anyone who flies only now & then will fly Ryanair - it is cheap - in every way - but if you fly regularly Air Malta is superior - you get what you pay for - Ryanair/Easyjet not as low as the headline rates and with many restrictions.
Luton, Stanstead are not in London as Ryanair misleadingly advertise. If you want Heathrow which it has to be for London - no option.
Peter Murray
Dec 18th 2012, 10:00
Is GATWICK in London?
Gorg Mallia
Dec 17th 2012, 20:39
Ryan Air tends to brag about starting new routes. I just wonder how long they'll last. Last year at this time, they bragged about starting a route to Malmö, Sweden. I flew with them from there & the service was excellent. But, to my great disappointment, the route only lasted a few months and was cancelled. With no explanation. Not even a peep in the press! I wonder if these will go the same way!
Paul Borg
Dec 17th 2012, 20:30
Today I was in bed with the flu, my restaurant got flooded and the food lift broke down. RYANAIR's news changed the outcome of today cause I know I will be visiting some great spots in Europe. (Cheaply)
Joseph Bajada
Dec 18th 2012, 11:35
What ? ? has that got to do with this story ?
Joe Grech
Dec 17th 2012, 20:02
This article clearly shows WHO should be thanked for the increase in Tourist Arrivals! Hopefully the Minister for Tourism, (who admittedly himself works hard) will admit this and not continue pretending that it was solely as a result of his Ministry that more tourists are coming to Malta!
m farrugia
Dec 18th 2012, 17:58
it was thks to govt subsidies that lccs were encouraged to operate to malta.these subsidies were previously given to mta as part of marketing budget. it makes much more sense to market malta on ryanair website. so yes this remarkable increase was thks to a wise govt decision. i wonder what labour would have done, protected wistin abela jobs at airmalta at all costs whilst tourist nos dwindled?
Victor Vella
Dec 17th 2012, 20:01
While Ryanair is increasing new routes to penetrate new markets Air Malta is closing down routes and competing in the same red sea by reducing costs at the expense of the passengers.
Peter Murray
Dec 17th 2012, 20:11
Brilliant analysis Victor and just what I was thinking myself?Also Air Malta first operated many routes now taken over by Ryanair -and Easyjet to some extent- but for some inexplicable reason pulled out and managed to make a loss!Perhaps not so inexplicable when one looks at those who had run Air Malta literally into the ground with alot of them still unaccountably remaining in office?
kenny hudson
Dec 17th 2012, 19:47
still no flights from EAST MIDLANDS come ryanair pull your fingers out
Raymond Bugeja
Dec 17th 2012, 20:02
You're right Mr. Hudson
And 3 in the West Midlands for now Birmingham Manchester and now Liverpool not to mention Bristol, Cardiff and Dublin, Coventry next in line
Ryan Air hear our cry
Mario Brincat
Dec 17th 2012, 21:33
come on Mr Hudson it's only 37 miles up the M42 from Birmingham Airport
M Cachia
Dec 17th 2012, 22:38
Monarch airways will be flying soon Ms Hudson
marit pedersen
Dec 18th 2012, 06:11
Monarch Airline have taken over the East Midlands route to Malta you could try them, same days as BMI Baby use to have. Wish Ryanair would fly to Corfu, seems no one does
Mario Micallef
Dec 18th 2012, 07:11
Monarch Airlines will operate this route after the cessation of services from BMI Baby last September
Mr. M. Camilleri
Dec 17th 2012, 19:39
Many hidden costs when you fly with ryanair!
Robert Agius
Dec 17th 2012, 19:50
Not hidden with AirMalta. ONE WAY flight Malta-Moscow - 775Euros. Guess why? no ryan air. Kemm aw cwiec Maltin jahasra.
William Spencer
Dec 17th 2012, 20:33
NO hidden costs with Ryanair if you read ALL details properly.
Joe Busuttil
Dec 17th 2012, 20:49
Have you ever traveled with Ryanair?
Ivan Visanich
Dec 17th 2012, 19:29
Would love if ryanair would fly to prague is well ... Flights in winter are a nightmare and in summer Airmalta is expensive ... Prague is a popular destination with us Maltese ..
Stefan Debattsita
Dec 17th 2012, 20:17
Yes Prague please!
Saviour Sam Agius
Dec 17th 2012, 20:52
In summer they fly to Wroclaw, Poland and a bus from Wroclaw to Prague doesn't take very long, and it doesn't cost much either with polskibus. You could check it out.
Claire Busuttil
Dec 18th 2012, 09:05
Prague used to be popular on the island about 10years ago, not now! so it is not really worth it for Ryanair
Claire Busuttil
Dec 17th 2012, 19:21
Prosit Ryanair....but please try to keep your fares low!
Jean-Marc Camilleri
Dec 17th 2012, 19:45
the fares are low...check the end price :-)
William Spencer
Dec 17th 2012, 20:34
We always check ALL fares, cases, taxes, admin charges. Then you cannot claim that there are hidden charges.
Claire Busuttil
Dec 18th 2012, 08:56
@Camilleri-
maybe you did not use Ryanair when they had really LOW FARES that`s why you`re saying that the actual fares are low!
Please choose the reason of your report below: