Ryanair has announced two new routes and a third aircraft to be based at Shannon Airport, resulting in 30 additional jobs at the airport.
The Irish airline will begin operating a twice-weekly service to Béziers in the south of France on Mondays and Saturdays and and flights to Newcastle three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from next March.
The new routes mean Ryanair will operate a total of 24 routes and over 180 weekly flights at Shannon next summer, an increase of 60% on pre-pandemic levels.
The company will host its largest-ever winter schedule at the Clare airport over the coming months with 60 flights per week, 66% more than during the winter of 2019.
“The addition of two new routes and a third based aircraft here at Shannon demonstrates Ryanair’s continued commitment and is another vote of confidence in our airport. We know our customers will be excited by these two new destinations," said Mary Considine, CEO of the Shannon Airport Group.
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“Days like today, when an airline announces new services, are always very encouraging not only for the general public, but for those at the coalface of the tourism industry here and right along the Wild Atlantic Way, who rely on our air services to bring international visitors to their doors. I would like to thank our aviation development team for the work they have done with Ryanair.
“Aviation plays a critical role in our economy and serves as a driving force for tourism and business. The results from today’s announcement will provide further connectivity for Shannon and the region and highlights the considerable strides Shannon has made since the pandemic,” she said.
Speaking at a press conference at Shannon Airport, Jason McGuinness, director of commercial at Ryanair, said: "“Efficient operations and competitive airport charges provide the foundation from which Ryanair can deliver long-term traffic growth and increased connectivity.
"We have worked directly with our partners in Shannon Airport to agree terms which will deliver growth and investment at the airport, including a new €10m maintenance facility, and improved services for those that live, work, or wish to visit the mid-west region of Ireland.”
Ryanair announced last week that it expects to add 2,000 jobs in Ireland and increase the annual number of passengers that fly with the airline to 30m by 2030.
The three-bay maintenance hangar at Shannon will require 200 new jobs in Clare, and the company is also planning to open €50m training centre for pilots and cabin crew in Santry as well as an €8m engineering excellence centre in Dublin
Ryanair has committed to growing Ryanair Labs from 600 to 1,000 high-tech development jobs over the next five years. The budget carrier has operated from Shannon for 35 years and has carried over 18m passengers at the airport.
Photo: Mary Considine (front left) and Jason McGuinness (front right) with Ryanair's Adrian Kozickil (back right) and Arianna Niccoli (back left). (Pic: Eamon Ward)
