Ryanair has launched six new routes from Dublin that will fly to cities in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, the first of which is scheduled for April of this year.
The low-cost airline, which has refused to open new routes out of Dublin until the Government agrees to the building of a second terminal at Dublin Airport, said it wanted to give the Irish public "a taste" of what's possible if the decision was made.
From April 19th, Ryanair will operate flights three times a week to Biarritz and Carcassone airports in France. The airline will also begin daily flights to Ciampino airport, which lies some 8 km outside Rome, and to Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
On April 28th it will launch a flight to Doncaster airport, near Sheffield, and on May 3rd it will launch a service between Dublin and Hahn Airport, some 70 km from Frankfurt.
The flights are being offered at fares from as low as €4.99 to €29.99.
Announcing the new routes yesterday, Ryanair deputy chief executive, Mr Michael Cawley, said it was great news for Irish consumers, Irish tourism and Irish jobs. "Ryanair expects to carry over 500,000 passengers per annum on these six routes, this will create over 500 new jobs here at Dublin Airport."
Mr Cawley said these new links "show what can be done if Bertie Ahern would honour his election promise and deliver a competing second terminal instead of three years of dithering".
To highlight its frustration with the Government's delay in moving on the terminal, Ryanair has today placed another newspaper advertisement that places blame with the Taoiseach.
Mr Cawley said the Government had moved quickly to introduce new legislation to allow the Swedish home furnishing group, IKEA, to open a store, employing 500 staff in Dublin. "I wish the Government would do the same for us with the second terminal," he added.
Ryanair said it had decided to reverse its position and open new routes at Dublin Airport due to extra capacity using aircraft based in these locations. The airline may also be sending a message to easyJet, which is already flying between Belfast and Rome and will begin to operate flights to the UK from Knock, in Co Mayo, commencing tomorrow.
Mr Cawley refused to discuss whether the airline had secured a better deal at Dublin Airport, which is now run by the newly-established Dublin Airport Authority. A spokesman for the airport would only state that it welcomed the new routes.
Last month Ryanair opened nine new routes from Shannon to the UK and continental Europe after the airport offered it a five-year package that starts off with a charge of €1.50 per departing passenger for the first 12 months. Under the agreement, no charge is applied to arrivals so the deal works out at an average 75 cents per passenger, per leg of the journey.
Mr Cawley said the airline was in discussions with Cork Airport but was unlikely to launch any new services there this year.
