Ryanair plans to serve 16 routes with new base in Berlin

Ryanair is stepping up its efforts to lure more German fliers by establishing a new base in Berlin.

The Irish airline wants to grow its share of the central European country’s market to between 15 per cent and 20 per cent from its current 4 per cent by 2019.

On Thursday it announced that it plans to open a new base at Berlin, where it will base five craft which will service 16 new routes.

The airline will open its new base and launch the extra routes in October, on time for its winter schedule.

It said it expects the move to boost its traffic from the airport to 2.6 million people a year.

Both the airline's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, and chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, recently said Germany offers significant scope to grow Ryanair's business.