RYANAIR IS to open four additional direct routes between Knock airport and continental Europe next summer, generating a predicted boost of €23 million to the west’s tourist economy.
The new links between Knock and Girona (Barcelona), Hahn (Frankfurt), Bergamo (Milan) and Beauvais (Paris) will bring to 14 the number of Ryanair routes flying to and from Ireland West Airport.
The additional routes will serve three of the four European destinations three times a week, and the fourth twice a week, from late March to October.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, in Knock airport yesterday for the announcement, said the challenge confronting tourist interests in the west is to make the most of the opportunity.
The development is expected to boost numbers at Knock airport by 10 per cent to 725,000 passengers next year. Some 500,000 of these will be on Ryanair flights, according to the airport chief executive, Joe Gilmore.
Airport traffic is scheduled to reach a 20 per cent increase in passengers over a two-year period, said Mr Gilmore.
Ryanair has flown out of Knock airport since 1987, and recently recorded its four millionth passenger there.
Three years ago, the airport’s future was described as “flaky” by Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary, but on this occasion he praised its “intelligent” and “forward looking” management for developing a “low-cost gateway”.
Mr O’Leary denied that he was pulling out of Shannon Airport, but criticised its “high costs”. The airline had been flying two million passengers through Shannon two years ago, but this had declined to 250,000, he added.
Mr O’Leary said that the tourism spin-off generated by the four new flights would create entry-level jobs which would prevent emigration.
Minister of State for Tourism Michael Ring and Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons welcomed the development.
Mr Gibbons described acquisition of the new routes as “like jam on the bread” when the organisation was investing significantly in marketing the west of Ireland.
The European market had been one of the star performers for Ireland over the past 10 years, and European visitors were the country’s “best ambassadors”, he said.
Tourism Ireland intended to run a strong campaign with Ryanair to market the western region, he said.
The Western Development Commission has described the announcement as a significant boost to tourism, which will sustain more than 500 jobs in Ireland West Airport.
A recent Irish Tourist Industry Confederation study noted a 37 per cent decline in bed nights sought by overseas visitors on the west coast, and an increase in day trips to the west from Dublin due to improved road links.