New scheduled flights to one of the most popular holiday destinations for people from the north-east will take off next year.
Budget airline Ryanair said yesterday it would start a service to the Portuguese hotspot on May 2. Prices for a one-way ticket start from £24.99.
It is just over two months since the Dublin-based carrier announced its return to Aberdeen International Airport (AIA) after a five-year absence yesterday, unveiling plans for new flights to Alicante and Malaga from February 2017.
Revealing its take-off plan for Faro, the main point of entry for all the beaches and golf courses of the Algarve, Ryanair said yesterday its three routes from the Granite City would be used by an estimated 75,000 passengers a year.
Robin Kiely, the airline’s head of communications, added: “We are pleased to extend our Aberdeen summer 2017 schedule with a new route to Faro, which will operate twice weekly in addition to our other new routes to Alicante and Malaga.”
AIA managing director Carol Benzie, said: “We’re delighted to announce another fantastic new route with Ryanair, following the earlier news that they will return to Aberdeen in February with routes to Alicante and Malaga.
“As the main point of entry to southern Portugal and the stunning Algarve region, Faro has long been a popular destination with holidaymakers in Aberdeen.
“The results of a leisure survey that we undertook earlier this year suggested that our local community would like to see the introduction of year-round flights to Faro.
“We listened to the feedback and have worked closely with Ryanair to respond to the demand.
“The twice-weekly service will begin in May 2017 and the arrival of 75,000 new customers per year to the airport will tie in with the exciting £20million revamp of our main terminal.”
Ryanair’s last flight from Aberdeen took off for Dublin in October 2011, with the carrier claiming the then airport operator BAA had “refused” to extend a low-cost fees deal.
AIA is now owned by AGS, a partnership between Ferrovial and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.
Another previous Ryanair service from the Granite City to Liverpool was short-lived, lasting just a year after the launch in 2006.