EASYJET and Ryanair are stepping up their assault on
the charter operators’ key Spanish market by ploughing extra capacity into the
country.
EasyJet is adding three new Spanish destinations to
its winter programme, while Ryanair is set to unveil several new regional and
coastal destinations for next summer.
Ryanair was initially slow into the Spanish market but
with the launch of Santander and Zaragoza flights in November, it now has eight
Spanish routes from the UK.
Deputy chief executive Howard Miller said: “There is
still a lot more growth to come from Spain. We can open up the regions like we
have with France and Italy.”
Destinations under consideration include Seville and
Granada.
Meanwhile, Miller reported a 21% rise in Ryanair’s
year-on-year first-quarter profits to 53.1 million euros. Passenger numbers
were up 28% and revenues rose 23% during the period, but yields fell by 6%.
EasyJet will launch Stansted
flights to Valencia and Almeria in November and a Bristol-Madrid flight in
October. It is also launching Luton flights to Bratislava and Turin for winter.