Ryanair adds eight new routes at Shannon

Ryanair is adding eight new services at Shannon Airport in a move that is expected to bring more than 300,000 new passengers through the airport every year.

The new services will bring to 18 the number of locations that the airline flies to from the airport by the end of April. Berlin, Paris, Fuerteventura, Warsaw, Faro, Munich, Nice and Krakow are all being added to Ryanair’s routes from Shannon, with the frequency of its services to Stansted also being increased.

Up to 300 new jobs are expected to be supported as a result of the new services.

Ryanair said the move was due to the removal of the €3 travel tax by the Government,

"The scrapping of the air travel tax will help restore Ireland's competitiveness and attractiveness to overseas visitors from the UK and Continental Europe in particular," Ryanair deputy chief executive Michael Cawley said. "Having met with all five of the main Irish airports, we hope to announce further new route and traffic growth plans over the coming weeks."

Shannon Airport said the move was “hugely significant” in its growth plans.

"It is a huge boost to the airport and to the wider region," Shannon Group CEO Neil Pakey said. The airport has already seen its transatlantic services increase by up to 40 per cent month on month, but a key priority was to boost its European services, he said.

The announcement was also welcomed by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan.