Irish airline Ryanair today began a new service from London to the Cornish resort of Newquay - but at twice the price of a ticket to Rome.
One-way fares between Stansted airport in Essex and Newquay will start at £39 sterling; Stansted to Rome one-way tickets will start at £19.
However, Ryanair was quick to point out today that British Airways charged £156 for the London-Newquay route.
Newquay and Rome are two of eight new services that Ryanair said today it would be operating this summer out of Stansted. The other six are Milan, Eindhoven in Holland, Friedrichshafen in Germany, Graz in Austria, Klagenfurt in Austria and Montpellier in France.
Ryanair will also be starting a new service from Scotland's Prestwick airport to Oslo, a new Liverpool service to Charleroi in Belgium and a new service from the airline's Charleroi base to Rome.
"This will be Ryanair's biggest and most successful summer schedule," said Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary.
"With these new destinations and our first route to Holland [Eindhoven], we will continue our policy of offering choice and low-fare competition to British Airways . . . and all of Europe's high-fare carriers".
Last week, Ryanair announced a long-term partnership with Boeing for the purchase of up to 150 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Ryanair will operate a fleet of 44 Boeing 737s this summer on 75 routes to 13 countries.
PA