Having frozen the launch of new routes from Brussels Airport for a year, on Tuesday Ryanair announced two routes that will depart from Zaventem to commence during next winter season (2018 to 2019). The low-cost Irish airline will fly to Amman and Marrakech, in addition to operating a new route from Charleroi to Malta.
From this coming winter, Ryanair will fly twice a week from Brussels to the cities in Jordan and Morocco. This will bring to 15 the total number of routes served from Brussels Airport.
Brussels Airport has launched “an attractive commercial offer for airlines launching new routes, to which we have accordingly responded.” Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, stated this in justifying the company’s business approach. For more than a year, Ryanair has frozen the launch of new routes, owing to problems with aircraft noise pollution.
The Irish owner has suggested that he would like to further develop the company’s operations. “We currently have four aeroplanes based in Zaventem, and we would like to bring this total up to eight. However, the problem of noise pollution is curbing our growth.”
Michael O'Leary is arguing for regulations which are better suited to the industry than those passed 20 years ago. “Starting our operations at 6.30 a.m. instead of 7.00 a.m., on a daily basis, will enable us to grow in Zaventem. We are thus thinking of putting forward a reasonable compromise, that of using quieter aircraft.”
In Charleroi, a daily flight will connect the Walloon airport to Malta. No less than 66 different routes will be operated by Ryanair out of Charleroi.
The Irish company estimates that it will henceforth carry 8.3 million passengers annually. It employs around 6,200 individuals in Belgium.
The Brussels Times
