EasyJet is to increase its focus on the south of France with two new bases announced for Nice and Toulouse.
The no-frills carrier will station two Airbus 319 aircraft at each of the airports from summer 2012, adding to its existing French bases at Orly, Charles de Gaulle and Lyon and bringing its total number of bases to 22.
The move is set to reinforce easyJet’s position as the second largest carrier in France, behind Air France. In 2011, it flew 12 million passengers in and out of the country.
Catherine Lynn, easyJet customer and revenue director, said: “France is a strategic market for easyJet, where the airline – already the country’s second largest – clearly has room to grow. Low-cost penetration is only 24% – half the European average. This strategic investment will allow us to strengthen our position in one of Europe’s key markets.”
She added: “EasyJet’s commercial performance continues to be robust across our network, with particular strength on city routes used by business and short break leisure travellers. These results demonstrate the success of our strategy and we will continue to build on this trend.
EasyJet claims the introduction of the two new bases will allow it to extend its portfolio of European routes from 27 to 37. Flights on the new routes will go on sale from November.