News: Ryanair to start Madrid flights
Flights > News > # 915 (09/08/2006)
Ryanair has confirmed plans to start flights to Madrid for the first time.
The no-frills airline will operate daily flights from Dublin to Madrid, in direct competition with the Irish national carrier Aer Lingus. Ryanair will use the Spanish capital’s main Barajas airport, an unusual step for the Irish airline, who usually prefer secondary airports with cheaper handling fees. There are no other alternative airports in or around Madrid, and although the new Don Quixote airport 120 miles south of the city is likely to be a no-frills hub, it is not expected to open for at least another year.
The airline's communications director, Peter Sherrard, told Flightmapping.com the airline had applied for more slots to operate Madrid flights due to the amount of spare capacity the airport has in its older terminals since opening its new Richard Rogers designed terminal 4 earlier in the year.
Mr Sherrard said: "We are initially going to be operating cheap flights from Dublin to Madrid, but as with many other low fares airlines, we have applied for slots to operate more Madrid flights if we are given the opportunity. Just because we open up one route into the city does not necessarily mean that we will start a base there, although Madrid is certainly a sizeable market."
Notice of correction (29th August 2006): We initially stated that Ryanair had secured more slots. They have, infact, merely applied for slots. We apologise for any misunderstanding this may have caused.
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