British low cost easyJet celebrates its 25 years of passenger transport to and from its Belfast basewhich is also the main base of its eternal competitor, the Irish low cost Ryanair.
Since easyJet’s very first flight from Belfast to London-Luton a quarter of a century ago, the airline has gone from strength to strength, carrying more than 70 million passengers in that time, including more than 4 .5 million last year. This year, easyJet welcomed its eighth aircraft of the Airbus A320 family at Belfast International Airport, the largest number since operations began, demonstrating the airline’s long-term commitment to Northern Ireland. This summer it operated its largest flight schedule from Belfast International with 9.4% more flight capacity than before the pandemic.
Over the past year, the airline’s network has continued to strengthen, adding four new connections to Antalya in Turkey, Rhodes in Greece, Southampton in the UK and most recently Hurghada in Egypt, offering connections between Belfast and Egypt for the first time. Flights to Hurghada are scheduled to launch on October 31 with weekly departures throughout the year. Flights to Southampton are set to launch on October 29 with departures up to three times a week, strengthening domestic connectivity between the regions.
EasyJet now offers more capacity Belfast to Spain and Portugal than any other airline and connects Belfast to more London airports than any other airline, offering more than 90 flights per week from the Irish capital’s airport.
Graham Keddie, Managing Director of Belfast International Airport, said: “easyJet revolutionized air travel when it arrived at Belfast International Airport 25 years ago. They became an integral part of the airport’s growth during this time, bringing unrivaled connectivity, significant investment and providing employment to hundreds of people. We are incredibly proud to stand alongside them today to celebrate this fantastic milestone. We look forward to the launch of new routes later this month to Hurghada and Southampton and also to working alongside them on new developments“.
