Ryanair has named Marseille as its latest European base and its first in France, as well as announcing plans to fly directly from Dublin to Berlin.
The low-cost airline said yesterday that it will base two aircraft at Marseille, in the south of France, from November. It plans to fly to 13 cities across Europe, including Dublin and Glasgow, as well as Brussels, Frankfurt, London and Rome. It also announced flights from Marseille to three cities in Morocco: Fez, Marrakesh and Oujda.
In addition to its plans for further expansion in continental Europe, the airline will launch a daily flight from Dublin to Berlin from June 1st. This brings the number of routes Ryanair flies out of Dublin to 52, following the launch last month of 18 new European destinations.
Analysts welcomed the announcements, particularly the opening of the airline's first base in France. Although Ryanair flies to about 20 airports in the country, it currently does not have a French base.
"A base selection will provide it with the platform to launch early morning departures and late evening arrivals, a cornerstone for full services in any market," Goodbody stockbrokers noted, describing the move as "an important strategic step".
The broker added that Ryanair currently generates around 10 per cent of its passenger volume in the French market and the move into Marseilles would accelerate this.
The airline, which has 15 bases in Europe in countries including Ireland, Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Sweden, plans to double the number of passengers its carries to 70 million by 2010 from around 35 million last year.
Shares in the airline nudged up by three cent to €6.85 in trading yesterday.
