With over 50% of its activity dedicated to flights to and from the islandsthe Spanish low cost Volotea is today an expert in island connectivity in Europe.
From 2012 to August 2023, it recorded 267,000 flights to and from the islands, 33 million passengers transported, including 5.3 million seats offered this year. With a presence in 27 airports on European islands, 53%, or more than half of its 400 routes, are operated to and from the islands. 47% of them being exclusive lines. Volotea thus promotes the connectivity of the islands (Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Balearic Islands, Canaries, Greek Islands) with four countries on the continent.
Its presence on the islands supports local economic development and job creation (its bases in Palermo, Olbia and Cagliari have created more than 160 direct jobs and nearly 1,000 indirect ones). For example, since opening its base in Olbia, Sardinia, in 2021, it has more than doubled its number of local jobs, boasting almost 90 employees on this base.
In 2023, Volotea opened 21 new island routes in Europe and is increasingly attracting travelers: in its top 10 main routes in terms of number of flights, half are to or from European islands!
A base in Corsica within two years
Present in Corsica for more than 10 years, Volotea has made the Isle of Beauty one of its priorities. Over the years, it has transported 6.3 million passengers (representing 19% of the company’s island routes) and operated more than 50,000 flights. It now operates throughout Corsica, with a presence in four airports (Ajaccio, Bastia, Figari and Calvi), and offers nearly 30 connections to and from the island. It thus connects Corsica with 9 cities of continental France (Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Lille, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Strasbourg, Toulouse).
And Volotea does not intend to stop there: it plans to announce new domestic and international routes. It also plans to install a base in Corsica within two years, if traffic growth continues and particularly if the company is allocated public service delegation lines following the consultation currently underway. The latter would thus be its 4th base on a European island.
Leading company on domestic routes in France
Representing nearly 60% of its activity, France is Volotea’s largest market. Building on its excellent results, the airline has planned a historic offering with nearly 6.5 million seats by the end of 2023. With 246 routes offered, almost half of which are exclusive and 61 are domestic, Volotea is a real leader in the number of lines in France.
More than 10 years after its creation, the Spanish low cost is accelerating its development and continues to enrich its offer in France by boosting the connectivity of the territories where it is established (Nantes, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Marseille, Lyon, Lille , Lourdes). This offer is also illustrated by a strengthening of connections between the continent and the European islands: Volotea offers more than 2.2 million seats for island destinations, or 34% of its seat offer.
“Volotea was created to address a huge opportunity in continental Europe: connecting small and medium-sized cities. More than 65% of the European population lives in these territories, and particularly on the islands, which are generally poorly served by direct flights. Over the years and our presence in Europe, Volotea has become an expert in island connections. We are proud of the expansion of our network and the offer offered to travelers between the islands and the European continent“, says Carlos Muñoz, CEO and founder of Volotea.
“The leading airline on domestic flights in France, we offer a wide range of connections with the main metropolitan cities and are currently evaluating new national and international routes. This at affordable prices and with an excellent level of service. With the support of our partners, we will continue to strengthen our local roots by very soon exceeding the symbolic bar of 1 million seats available in all Corsican airports.“, adds the manager.
