Growth continues of routes in and out of Ireland West Airport Knock with the announcements of a major expansion of two new year round services by Flybe to Birmingham and Edinburgh which will see 75,000 additional seats at the airport, and Falcon and Thompson will offer Spain's Costa Dorada as a new holiday destination for the summer 2016 season.
The Flybe announcement brings to nine the number of destinations served by the airport to the UK and Scotland – the biggest selection of services from the west and northwest of Ireland. Flybe currently operates a Manchester service from Ireland West Airport Knock. The Edinburgh service will begin on March 28 2016 and operate six times a week. The Birmingham service, which will also operate six times weekly, also commences on March 28 2016. The restoration of the Birmingham service will come as welcome news to the thousands of people who previously used the service, as Birmingham has long been one of the most established destinations from the airport and the return of the service after a 12 month absence is a further boost for the airport and region. In addition Flybe has also announced that it will add a further 5,000 seats on the popular Manchester service from the airport which is having a record year in 2015.
Joe Gilmore, managing director, Ireland West Airport Knock, welcoming Flybe’s expansion from the airport, said: “We are delighted to welcome today’s announcement from Flybe of two new year round services to Edinburgh and Birmingham and increased capacity on our Manchester service. Flybe have been a customer of the airport for over five years now and continue to provide essential connectivity to key UK markets, and we thank them for showing confidence in our airport and region with today’s announcement. These new routes will have a hugely positive impact on the region as a whole as we expect to welcome thousands of additional Scottish and English visitors to the west and northwest next year as we seek to strengthen our position as the main international gateway for the Wild Atlantic Way. I would also like to thank Mayo County Council in particular for their recent commitment of co-operative marketing support for the new Flybe services, and the pending investment in the airport by them and the other six local authorities which was a key element in securing these new routes and is a tangible example of how local authority collaboration with the airport can deliver new business and tourism for the region.”
The Costa Dorada route will operate every Tuesday from June 26 to August 16 and will offer holidaymakers throughout the west of Ireland the opportunity to discover the ‘Golden Coast’ from their local airport. Costa Dorada is home to the popular resorts of Salou, La Pineda, and Cambrils while also on the doorstep of Barcelona.
Speaking at the announcement, Chris Logan, head of Ireland for Falcon and Thomson, said: “We are delighted to operate once again from Ireland West Airport and believe Costa Dorada serviced through REUS airport will prove a very popular choice for local holidaymakers. Over the last number of years Costa Dorada including the resorts of Salou, La Pineda, and Cambrils has become a firm favourite from Ireland due to its short flight time, excellent range of quality hotels and apartments, and attractions for all the family.”
