Ryanair announces new route to major UK airports as part of big expansion plans

Ryanair is forecasting that around four million passengers will be transported on average every single year as a result of the expansion as part of a huge investment

Ryanair has announced it is expanding its operations and running new routes to major airports in the UK.

At Warsaw Modlin airport, Ryanair’s eight based aircraft will operate 30 routes, including to five new destinations in Bristol and Manchester – along with Bratislava, Shannon, and Zagreb.

Meanwhile, at Warsaw Chopin, Ryanair is adding seven new routes including Liverpool – as well as Bari, Bologna, Catania, Naples, Turin, and Venice —bringing the total to 16 destinations.

With 46 routes and 12 destinations being served, Ryanair is forecasting that four million passengers will be transported on average each year from Warsaw Modlin and Warsaw Chopin airports.

Two additional planes will be added to Modlin Airport, increasing the current fleet size to 8 planes at the airport and an investment of $800 million.

It comes after the budget airline released a statement following the cancellation of more than 100 flights at short notice, which left passengers stranded.

The carrier condemned what it described as an ‘illegal wildcat’ strike by Belgian air traffic controllers which resulted in 100 Ryanair flights to and from Charleroi and Zaventem Airports being cancelled with minimal warning, disrupting the travel plans of nearly 20,000 passengers, according to the airline.

“It is unacceptable that passengers travelling to/from Belgium today (2 June) are suffering flight cancellations and delays as a result of a tiny number of Belgian air traffic controllers’ decision to strike with zero notice given to airlines who pay millions of euros annually for ATC services, which have been withdrawn today without any prior notice,” the airline said in a statement.

“If Belgian ATC controllers must go on strike, they should provide fair and sufficient notice – at least 24 hours – so that airlines can reorganise flights and protect passengers – many of whom are travelling on holidays with young families – from unnecessary cancellations.”

Ryanair’s Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary stated that while the airline respects the right to strike, “it is unacceptable that airlines were given zero notice of today’s Belgian ATC strike.”

O’Leary said that if a strike must occur, then fair notice should be provided to airlines to enable them to reorganise schedules and minimise the impact on people “who pay for these high priced but low service ATC.”