Getty Images
Ryanair flights: The airline have announced new routes and continued growth in the UK
Ryanair today announced a host of new flights from London Southend airport, as the airline continues to see growth in the UK after the Brexit referendum.
They will open their newest base in London Southend from 2nd April 2019, with three aircraft, 50 weekly flights, and 750 jobs onsite.
The airline will launch five new routes to Spain, two to Italy, and one each to Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Romania.
Southend will be their 14th base, taking them to 20 airports in total across Europe.
Michael O’Leary has been notoriously anti-Brexit throughout the referendum campaign and since the result, and Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer David O’Brien insisted this new investment in the UK was not a sign this stance had changed.
We’re delighted to be announcing Southend Airport. We are growing four per cent in the UK
He said: “We’re delighted to be announcing Southend Airport. We are growing four per cent in the UK.
“However, don’t confuse this great news as some form of vote of confidence into the future of UK aviation.
“Brexit remains an issue but we don’t know. We have plans to do with ownership and control issues, we have a mobile asset with our fleet but we shall we what happens.”
Passengers can book flights now from Southend airport, O’Brien confirmed. Explaining why they chose to invest in the airport, he said: “We have arrangements with more than 200 airports in Europe while we talk to another 40. We look at the cost, the catchment, the demand.”
Continuing his discussion of Brexit, he continued: “It shouldn’t be mistaken as a reversal of opinion on the merits of Brexit.
Getty Images
Ryanair flights: Chief Commercial Officer David O’Brien hosted a press conference in London today
“It is recognition that demand exists in the UK that is underserved.
“What we are doing is allocating capacity to the key centres. We have moved capacity from underperforming Glasgow to Edinburgh.
“There is more inbound interest in London and outbound demand from London than in other parts of the UK.”
Asked how this demand pattern will help inbound tourism, O’Brien said: “Our pan-european footprint is our benefit. We are more likely to carry Italians into the UK than any other airline, apart from Air Italia which barely enters the UK,” explaining it is similar with other nationalities also.
With the vote on a third runway at Heathrow just days away, the airline mused over capacity issues in the capital and how this affected their decision to invest in Southend.
Getty Images
Ryanair flights: The airline confirmed they have no imminent plans for further changes to baggage
Warwick Brady, Deputy Chief Executive, further explained the decision to invest in London Southend airport, and said: “Airports in London are facing a capacity crisis, and need more capacity. Passenger experience is declining at airports.
“Southend is the same size as Luton for 6.4 million passengers, and with Crossrail this figure will go to eight million. It is also only 51 mins from Liverpool St.
“It is also just 100 paces from train to plane, which is only 15 minutes. There is a faster check-in time (five minute average) and three minute average security wait.”
Ryanair have introduced many changes over the past 12 months, including to baggage allowances and check-in times. Asked if there were more changes on the way, O’Brien confimed: “Lower fares and new routes can be expected. We are in a state of constant innovation – but there is no imminent announcement for anything else.”
What is Ryanair’s stance on Brexit?
The European airline reportedly flew 44 million passengers to and from the UK in 2017. But since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, Ryanair has repeatedly warned of the possibility there will be no flights between the UK and Europe once Britain leaves the EU.
The airline has been firmly anti-Brexit due to the changes the decision will bring to the aviation industry.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned earlier this year the airline may ground planes from the UK as part of a plot to make Brexit voters rethink their choice, and would instead base them elsewhere in Europe.
What Ryanair said about Brexit in 2018
22 May 2018: Michael O’Leary predicted profits would fall as much as 14 per cent due to rising fuel prices, higher staff pay, and Brexit during an interview with Bloomberg
21 May 2018: Michael O’Leary slammed Brexit as “a fog of indecision’ that could endanger airline’s future
7 March 2018: Michael O’Leary threatened to ground planes in the hope of forcing Brexit voters to “rethink” their decision
21 January 2018: Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Jacobs confirmed Ryanair would still fly from the UK after Brexit
What Ryanair said about Brexit in 2017
2 August 2017: Michael O’Leary threatened to take flights off sale in September 2018 if an OpenSkies agreement isn’t reached
25 July 2017: Ryanair CFO Neil Sorahan said a “hard” Brexit was a cause for concern on BBC Radio 4
26 July 2017: Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs called on the UK Government for clarity on open skies or risk grounding flights after the EU divorce
27 June 2017: Kenny Jacobs said flights between the UK and the EU could come to a halt for months
15 June 2017: Kenny Jacobs warned UK expats could be stranded if flights stop after Brexit
31 May 2017: Michael O’Leary told hosts on CNBC there could be “months” of chaos with planes not being allowed to fly to and from mainland Europe
30 May 2017: At a press conference O’Leary issued a Brexit doomsday scenario saying “we’ll only have one aircraft per European base”
25 May 2017: O’Leary warned British holiday-goers to get used to travelling by boat as a hard Brexit will shut down all flights to and from the UK
6 April 2017: Neil Sorahan, CFO, issues a Brexit ultimatum – continue open skies or see NO EU flights from March 2019
16 February 2017: O’Leary threatens to CUT all flights to Europe
