Ryanair launches summer routes from Memmingen base

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has opened its new base at Memmingen in Germany, its tenth in the European country.

The launch has coincided with the airline announcing six routes for summer 2018, with services to Fez (two weekly), Oradea (two weekly), Seville (two weekly), Stockholm (two weekly), Thessaloniki (two weekly) and Warsaw (three weekly). It will also operate additional flights to Alicante.

Ryanair's winter schedule from Memmingen currently includes Faro, Dublin, Alghero and Sofia and in total it will link Memmingen with 19 destinations.

Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, said that by basing one aircraft at Memmingen would result in a 26 percent increase in traffic from the airport and bring 860,000 customers.

"Our based aircraft represents an investment of $100m, which further underlines our commitment to growing traffic, tourism and jobs in Bavaria and we look forward to working closely with our airport partners to deliver further growth in Germany," Jacobs added.

Ryanair's expansion in Germany comes just days after its chief executive Michael O'Leary hit out at the ongoing sale process for assets of Air Berlin, complained that the insolvency process would strengthen Lufthansa.

"If there was a fair and open process we would get involved but we are not getting involved in this process because it’s a stitch-up," he told reporters.

On Monday (4 September 2017), the European Commission approved Germany’s plan to provide a €150m loan to Air Berlin that will allow the struggling carrier to operate in the short-term.

A statement from the Commission said the funding would allow for the "orderly wind-down" of the insolvent airline "without unduly distorting competition".

David Casey

David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.