ARCHIVED - Ryanair launches summer calendar in Alicante with 74 routes
The airline will operate more than 300 weekly flights from the Costa Blanca airport.
Ryanair has launched the summer calendar 2021 for Alicante-Elche Airport as part of its recovery plan from the Covid crisis, programming a total of 74 routes with more than 300 weekly flights, including eight new connections.
The director of the Costa Blanca Tourism Board, José Mancebo, held a working meeting on Wednesday with representatives from the Irish airline Ryanair and director of the airport, Laura Navarro, to address the province's connectivity with potential tourist-sending countries in which the firm operates.
"The new routes will help boost air traffic and the region's tourism sector as we enter the decisive months of summer, July and August, while vaccination campaigns continue throughout Europe," said the airline, adding that air traffic is expected to "skyrocket" this summer, and the firm is committed "to recovering connectivity and tourism to and from Spain".
The new routes will see between two and seven weekly flights to Lanzarote, Belfast, Bari, Ibiza, Miniroca, Teeside, Trevison and Vitoria and, because Covid restrictions are constantly changing, Ryanair is allowing up to two free flight date changes.
According to the Costa Blanca Tourism Board, the additional flights are testament to the region's "ability to attract tourists from all over Europe", with in excess of five million passengers passing through Alicante airport prior to the pandemic.
While there remains uncertainty over international restrictions, one thing is clear, anyone planning on flying to or from Spain this summer will still have to wear a face mask - despite the fact the UK government plans to remove legal requirement to wear a face mask as part of the final stage of England's Covid lockdown roadmap from July 19 - although this will be confirmed after a review of data on July 12.
At lunchtime on Thursday the Transport Secretary, Grant Schapps, confirmed that English residents travelling from Spain would no longer be required to quarantine from July 19 onwards.
IMAGE: Ryanair