The 186-seat aircraft will remain based in Belfast throughout the year and joins three 156-seat Airbus A319 and two 186-seat A320 aircraft serving the airline’s customers in Northern Ireland.
Due to the volume of inbound easyJet flights at Belfast International Airport, the addition of this aircraft means that the airline offers capacity equivalent to up to 13 aircraft.
This week also marks the launch of the latest routes to join easyJet’s Belfast network with first flights to the Isle of Man and Venice, followed by flights to Naples and Valencia.
There’s even more good news to come in four to six weeks time according to Ali Gayward, easyJet’s Country Manager, with the airline hoping to announce a number of new routes from Belfast to Continental Europe. Final decisions are being taken on the destinations at the moment.
Easyjet now operates up to 624 flights a week across 32 routes from Belfast and eight per cent more flights compared to summer 2017.
The new flights to the Isle of Man will operate twice a week throughout the year, with fares starting from £22.66 while the flights to Venice will operate twice a week throughout the year, with fares starting from £27.71. The Naples flights will operate twice a week throughout the summer season, with fares starting from £18.70 and the services to Valencia twice a week throughout the summer season, with fares starting from £26.70. All fares quoted are one-way, including taxes and based on two people on the same booking.
Added Ali Gayward: “We are absolutely delighted to be celebrating further expansion at Belfast Airport. The addition of another aircraft and even more routes will help us to deliver long term, sustainable growth at the base providing passengers with a greater range of destinations, all with low fares and great service.
“Our ongoing growth demonstrates the airline’s long-term commitment to Northern Ireland, and with fares as low as £18.70, that’s 37% cheaper than when we launched our first route for £29.99 from Belfast over 18 years ago. easyJet is the largest airline in Northern Ireland and we are proud to have carried over 55 million passengers in that time.”
Graham Keddie, Managing Director at Belfast International Airport, said: “Belfast International Airport welcomes the new easyJet routes to Naples, Venice, Valencia and the Isle of Man. The addition of a sixth easyJet aircraft to the five already based at the airport is a huge boost. In a year that we expect will be record-breaking for the airport, this enhances our route offering for passengers and also shows the value that easyJet places upon its operation at Belfast and the importance of the Northern Ireland market.”
easyJet has flown over 55 million passengers since it launched operations from Belfast over 18 years ago, and over four million passengers last year. The airline continues to be the largest carrier serving Northern Ireland, operating over 70 per cent of flights from Belfast International Airport and almost 50 per cent of all commercial passenger traffic across Northern Ireland.
