Ryanair has marked two milestones, celebrating 20 years operating to and from Spain and 35 years of flying through Cork Airport.
Since launching its Spanish operations from Girona in 2002, Ryanair has carried 400 million passengers to and from Spain – more than any other airline over the past two decades.
Ryanair DAC chief executive Eddie Wilson joined Spain’s Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Ildefonso Castro – at the Ambassador’s residence in Dublin – to mark the Spanish milestone.
Summing up the importance of Spain to Ryanair, Mr Wilson said the airline has orders in for 210 new planes, as part of its fleet refurbishment and expansion drive, and will position “as many as possible” of those in Spain.
Ryanair has grown from having a presence in just seven airports in Spain in 2002 to almost 30 now. The airline’s corporate activity now generates more than €1bn per year to Spain’s GDP. Across the 20 years, Ryanair has contributed nearly €124.5bn to the Spanish economy.
The 18 million tourists who travel with Ryanair in Spain spend nearly €13.4bn a year, with that money mainly distributed in restaurants, hotels, leisure and commercial activities.
Separately, Ryanair is also celebrating 35 years of operating at Cork Airport, marking the milestone by adding two new winter routes to Newcastle and Rome – both of which will operate twice weekly from the end of October.
In celebration of its Cork links, Ryanair has also launched a limited-time seat sale, with fares available from just €21.99 on new routes for travel from August until October of this year. Bookings must be made by June 24.
Ryanair is seeing record bookings out of Cork for this summer, with 25 routes covered from the airport.
“We have enjoyed a 35-year relationship with Cork Airport and hope that this will continue to strengthen over the coming years. Ryanair is providing increased choice and capacity for Summer’22 and Winter’22 and hopes to consolidate for next year but this would wholly depend on Cork Airport not increasing its charges, as other Irish airports have proposed,” said Jade Kirwan, Ryanair’s head of communications.
