Budget airline easyJet has expanded its base at Bristol Airport by adding an extra aircraft, a move that it says will support 400 jobs including pilot and cabin crew roles. The A320 Neo plane is the carrier's 20th at the South West transport hub.
New Routes and Destinations
EasyJet said the expansion has enabled it to provide more routes from Bristol, including to destinations such as Reus, Thessaloniki, Seville, Cape Verde, Bari and Budapest. The airline now operates 90 routes from Bristol to 27 countries.
Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed the arrival of a 20th aircraft and our 13th Neo aircraft at our Bristol base. Our continued commitment and growth in Bristol supports many skilled jobs and plays a vital role in connecting the South West to Europe and beyond.”
Economic and Environmental Impact
Doyle added: “Providing more affordable air travel not only ensures flying remains accessible to the six million passengers who choose to fly with us from Bristol each year, but also drives inbound tourism, bringing visitors and economic benefits to the South West.”
Dave Lees, chief executive of Bristol Airport, said the airport was "especially pleased" to welcome another Airbus A320 Neo. According to easyJet, Airbus's Neo aircraft are 20 per cent more fuel efficient per seat as well as 50 per cent quieter than the planes in the rest of the fleet. Neo now make up 65 per cent of the easyJet fleet at Bristol.
"This underpins our commitment to local communities that we are actively encouraging newer, quieter and more fuel-efficient aircraft to Bristol Airport," said Mr Lees.
Bristol as a Major European Base
Lees continued: “We’re really proud to be one of easyJet’s biggest European bases, which is so important for providing not only unrivalled choice of destinations, more inbound tourism opportunities, connections and frequency, but more high-quality jobs in our region.”
Earlier this month, US investment giant Apollo agreed to acquire easyJet for £5.7bn in a surprise move that trumped an earlier approach from rival asset manager Castlelake. The budget airline confirmed it was prepared to accept an all-cash proposal from Apollo, valuing the airline at 714p per share. The carrier said Apollo's offer "delivers a superior outcome for easyJet shareholders".
