Ryanair chooses Nottingham as new base
Ryanair has chosen Nottingham East Midlands as a new base and will increase its number of routes from the airport from five to 15.
The move is expected to generate 1.2 million visitors to the region.
The low cost carrier will base two new Boeing 737-800 aircraft at the airport from March 2006 and operate new routes to Berlin, Derry, Nimes, Carcassonne, Nantes, Dinard, Limoges, Lodz, Wroclaw and Bergerac. It current serves Dublin, Shannon, Murcia, Barcelona and Rome.
Nottingham East Midlands Airport managing director Penny Coates said: “The increased choice of destinations for the people of the Midlands and the opportunities for inbound tourism are very exciting.”
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said Nottingham will be its 15th European base, deliver 1.2 million passengers each year to the region and sustain 1,200 jobs in the East Midlands area.
The move is a significant boost for tourism chiefs who have outlined ambitions to become a top 20 European region by 2010.
Chief executive of East Midlands Tourism Richard Dickinson said: “Ten new routes will give us much better reach into key markets and we will be working hard with our partners to maximise the economic potential that new overseas visitors can bring to the region.”
Report by Steve Jones
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