Ryanair Announces 26th Base in Reus Barcelona

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Ryanair News

News Release

12.02.08

Ryanair Announces 26th Base in Reus Barcelona

2 A/CRAFT ($140m) & 12 ROUTES DELIVER OVER 1M PAX P.A

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline today (12th Feb) announced its 26th European and fifth Spanish base in Reus Barcelona. From October, Ryanair will invest $140M in 2 new aircraft and 12 routes that will deliver 1,000 jobs and over 1m passengers p.a. for Tarragona.

DESTINATION Starts
Birmingham June
Dublin Operating
Frankfurt Operating
Glasgow Operating
Liverpool Operating
London (Luton) Operating
London (Stansted) Operating
Palma Oct
Paris Oct
Santander Oct
Santiago Oct
Seville Oct

In just five years, Ryanair has smashed Iberia’s high fare monopoly by guaranteeing Spanish passengers the lowest fares and no fuel surcharges ever. This has driven down the cost of travel and delivered an annual €2bn tourism spend in the Spanish regions.

Ryanair’s new base in Reus Barcelona will replicate the success of our existing bases in Alicante, Girona, Madrid and Valencia, transforming tourism to the region and saving passengers €100m p.a. compared to Iberia’s high fares and fuel surcharges.

Announcing Ryanair’s 26th European base in Reus, CEO Michael O’Leary said,

“We congratulate Reus for fighting off stiff competition from seven other airports across Europe to win this new base which guarantees over 1m passengers p.a and two new aircraft worth over $140m for 12 Ryanair routes.

“Ryanair will now develop the region’s massive untapped potential by giving the tourism industry year round low fare access to Europe’s largest cities. The 1m passengers that Ryanair delivers to/from Reus next year will generate a local visitor spend of at least €150m.

“All of Ryanair’s routes from Reus are available until midnight Thursday for just €5 and we advise passengers to book early as demand will be very strong”.

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Source: Irish Examiner

Ryanair hopes to expand branches

By Niamh Hennessy

RYANAIR is hoping to open up to four new hubs across Europe by summer of next year.

These openings will follow the establishment of its 26th European and fifth Spanish base at Reus in Tarragona, south of Barcelona — details of which were announced yesterday.

The airline’s chief executive Michael O’Leary, made the announcement in Madrid saying heexpects to have an additional Spanish base operating from summer 2009 and is in talks with as many as six airports.

He added that the airline will likely open two or three other European hubs before starting the sixth base in Spain.

Ryanair will spend $140 million (€96m) to buy two new aircraft and double the number of routes at Reus to 12 from six.

Ryanair already flies to Reus from Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Luton and London Stansted.

In June, routes from Birmingham will be added, and from October there will be services from Reus to Palma, Paris, Santander, Santiago, and Seville.

“We think Reus will grow strongly,” said Mr O’Leary.

“The one million passengers that Ryanair delivers to and from Reus next year will generate a local visitor spend of at least €150m,” he added.

Reus Airport is 13km from the Spanish city of Tarragona and about 80km south of Barcelona.

Ryanair recently announced its booking website will be closed for three days from 10pm on February 22 to 11pm on February 25.

The closure is to enable a complete review to ensure compliance with the fare transparency requirements set down by the Office of Fair Trading.

Ryanair will not be in a position to take any bookings during the time of the closure.

Online check-in-passengers also will not be able to check in between 1am on February 22 until 11pm on February 25.