Budget carrier Ryanair will start new routes from Prestwick airport to Marseilles and Pisa in April as part of its summer 2023 schedule.
It will also offer more frequencies on its popular Glasgow International route to Dublin.
The extra flights from Glasgow and Prestwick mean the airline’s capacity at the airports will be up by 6% in summer 2023 compared to last year. It will offer more than 150 flights a week, carrying more than 1.1 million passengers to 18 destinations across Europe this year.
The airline employs 500 people at its maintenance facility in Prestwick and is seeking to fill another 200 roles there as its fleet expands to 600 aircraft by 2026.
Jade Kirwan, Ryanair’s head of communications, said: “To facilitate Ryanair’s growth in the region and across our wider network of more than 235 locations, we are hiring another 200 highly skilled professionals for our state-of-the-art maintenance facility at Prestwick to support the maintenance of Ryanair’s fleet as it grows to 600 aircraft by 2026.”
The carrier has also unveiled an expanded programme of flights from Aberdeen this summer, serving Alicante, Faro and Malaga.
It expects to carry 73,000 passengers with four flights a week to each destination, starting from the Scottish airport in April.
Christopher Tibbett, Aberdeen airport group head of airline relations and marketing, said: “We are thrilled that Ryanair is launching a bigger season from Aberdeen than ever before, with even more flights to European sunshine hotspots.
“Whether exploring the Algarve’s hidden beaches, hiking Andalucía’s rugged mountains or enjoying sundown cocktails along the Costa Blanca, Scottish holidaymakers will be well served this summer.”
Picture of the Leaning Tower in Pisa, Italy: f11photo/Shutterstock.com