TRAVEL BLOG 31/12/2018

With Brexit looming in the New Year, it is surprising that some airlines have announced new destinations on their 2019 schedules from UK and Irish airports.

Taking on the challenge

By exploiting the unique 21-month transition window, which follows the deadline in March, Ryanair has seized the opportunity to increase its business before the effects of the economic climate change are truly felt. As a result, Ryanair’s new relatively base at London’s Southend airport will be the focus of the most significant new destination expansion in 2019. Fourteen new routes to European locations: Alicante; Bilbao; Brest; Copenhagen; Cluj; Corfu; Dublin; Faro; Kosice; Malaga; Milan; Palma; Reus and Venice are on the flight schedule for 2019.

The expansion continues in Luton, where a further two aircraft will open up an additional six new routes this summer to Alicante, Athens, Barcelona, Bologna, Cork and Malaga. New destinations, Kiev, Lviv and Nantes, will also be available from Stansted.

Understandably for an Irish born carrier, new destinations have also been announced from its native airports. Flights from Dublin to Gothenburg and Thessaloniki, Cork to Malta and Shannon to Ibiza have been announced for 2019. Increasing Ryanair’s Irish air traffic by 3% from Dublin, Cork, Kerry, Knock and Shannon airports.

Further Afield

Not to be left out, British Airways will launch four weekly flights to Osaka, Japan from London Heathrow in the spring. A strategic move to ease the flight dilemmas of Rugby World Cup fans, it also aims to target travellers eager to experience the month-long cherry blossom spectacular.

Pittsburgh and Charleston are two new charming destinations to be covered by British Airways from London Heathrow. Ideal timing for any baseball fans eager to catch a game at the during of the spring season.

Reaching even further across the pond and adding to their already successful South American route to Argentina, Norwegian Airlines has announced plans to launch a route to Buenos Aires from Gatwick. Also due to leave the tarmac in spring 2019, Norwegian will be the first low-cost carrier to schedule flights to Brazil from the UK.

Closer to home

More European weekend destinations will be available this summer.

Jet2 have announced a new summer route to Bourgas, Bulgaria from Birmingham. And Turkey’s third largest city, Izmir from Stansted Airport.

Budapest will soon become a quick and easy option for Londoners from City airport with LOT Polish Airlines from February. And Kos will be added to British Airways list of Greek summer escape routes.

Not to be left out of the summer holiday flight schedule, TUI has announced new flights to the popular Croatian destination of Rijeka in 2019. Allowing sun-seekers from Manchester and London (Gatwick) the opportunity to depart for a bit of island hopping in the Kvarner Gulf.

For those in the far west of the UK, SAS introduces a new Summer route from Newquay to Copenhagen starting in June 2019. A perfect chance to explore some northern shores for a change.