Ryanair is to start serving the Portuguese Algarve from Teesside airport this summer.
Twice-weekly flights to Faro start on June 16 following Portugal being the lone mainstream holiday destination included in the government’s quarantine-free green list of destinations as part of its traffic light system for reopening overseas travel.
Fares start at £19.99 one-way for bookings made by midnight on May 20 for the service which will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays until the end of October.
Faro joins Alicante, Palma and Corfu on the budget carrier’s summer schedule, giving seven flghts a week from Teesside.
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Ryanair is also starting twice weekly summer season flights from Manchester to Verona from July.
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said: “This is fantastic news, and yet another vote of confidence in our airport. Of course, it has only been made possible because of the tremendous take-up of Ryanair’s flights to Alicante and Palma by local people.
“Passengers are showing they’re backing our airport and Ryanair is paying back their commitment in spades. Even before the first flight has taken off, Ryanair has listened to what people have been crying out for and doubled its routes to give them a much-needed break.
“We’ve been working hard over the past few months to transform our terminal, get it fit for the 21st century and make it easier and smoother than ever to pass through. We can’t wait to welcome people back through our doors for these great summer breaks – and our growing slate of other domestic and international flights.”
Ryanair commercial director Jason McGuinness added: “We are very pleased to announce a new route from Teesside to Faro on the back of the UK’s green list announcement. Teesside customers will now have the choice of four popular destinations this summer, with flights to Alicante, Faro and Palma de Mallorca from June, and Corfu from July.
“Teesside airport continues to deliver efficient operations and competitive airport charges, allowing for long-term traffic growth and new routes.”
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