- easyJet has put two new routes on sale today from Edinburgh to Catania and from Glasgow to Porto
- Flights to Porto will take off on 31 March 2023 and to Catania on 2 June 2023, with great fares starting from just £29.99*
- New routes follow confirmation easyJet will base a 9th aircraft at Edinburgh from next summer
- The Airbus A320neo aircraft brings significant improvements in environmental and operational efficiencies compared to the previous generation of aircraft
- easyJet’s autumn 2023 schedule goes on sale tomorrow 8 December with seats across tens of thousands of flights between 1 October and 30 November 2023 available for customers to book early at low fares
- Recent research by the airline revealed that 64% of Brits plan to fly abroad in 2023 and protecting holiday spend remains a priority for most as 70% will prioritise a holiday over other expenditure in their yearly budget
easyJet, Scotland’s largest airline, has this week announced a new route from Glasgow Airport to Porto Airport and from Edinburgh Airport to Catania Airport, which will take off for the first time next summer. The new routes provide customers in Scotland with even more choice when planning a summer getaway, whether they want to discover hidden coastal gems or relax on some of the best beaches in Europe.
Flights to Porto from Glasgow are scheduled to launch on 31 March 2023 with twice-weekly departures on Mondays and Fridays, and flights to Catania from Edinburgh are set to launch on 2 June 2023 and will also operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays throughout the summer season.
The new routes follow last month's announcement that easyJet will add another aircraft to its Edinburgh base to serve customer demand from the Scottish capital from next summer. The 186-seat A320neo aircraft will be based in Edinburgh throughout the year, and it joins two 156-seat Airbus A319, four 186-seat A320 and two 186-seat A320neo aircraft already serving the airline’s customers in Edinburgh.
Compared to the current generation of aircraft, the Airbus NEO brings significant environmental benefits and operational efficiencies compared to the previous generation of aircraft, resulting in at least 15% less CO2 emissions and 50% less noise during take-off and landing. easyJet is one of the largest single-brand operator of NEOs in Europe.
The addition of the new aircraft will also create around 40 job opportunities at Edinburgh airport.
The airline will also be putting its autumn 2023 schedule on sale tomorrow, 8 December, meaning seats on tens of thousands of flights between 1 October and 30 November 2023, including for October Half Term, will be available to snap up early at low fares across the entire easyJet network.
The airline has also recently revealed the results of research conducted in November 2022 which has shown that almost two-thirds (64%) are planning on flying abroad in 2023. Holidays topped the list of most important things people planned to spend on in 2023, with two-thirds (66%) saying this was the most important.
70% of people surveyed agreed that they will prioritise a holiday over other expenditure in their yearly budget and three quarters said it was one of their most important plans for next year. To prioritise their holiday, people will be cutting back on other discretionary spend like eating out (46%) or new clothes (40%) and on big purchases such as new cars or home improvements (33%).
Consumers are also looking at the way they holiday to prioritise a holiday, with two thirds of people saying they will be booking with a low-cost carrier (66%), while three quarters of people will fly short haul instead long haul (74%) and holiday in closer to home destinations in Europe (70%) to protect their holidays. The majority (80%) also believed that holidaying in the UK can be more expensive.
Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK Country Manager, commented:
“I am delighted to be announcing new routes from both Edinburgh and Glasgow today, providing our Scottish customers with more direct links to more of Europe's most popular city and beach destinations next summer. And with flights for autumn 2023 on sale tomorrow, customers can also book early for next autumn and snap up the best fares across our network to find a great-value getaway or October half term holiday
“We know that holidays are important to people, not only does travelling connect friends and family but it offers a wealth of benefits, from promoting wellbeing to experiencing new cultures. The results of our survey just go to show what a priority it is for people, with so many determined to protect their holidays.
“With our low fares and unrivalled European network, easyJet is ideally placed to offer a fantastic value and great quality holiday that people don’t have to compromise on. It is fantastic to see that so many consumers plan to travel next year already, and we look forward to welcoming them onboard.”
Kate Sherry, Aviation Director at Edinburgh Airport said:
“Italy continues to be a country that people wish to explore and sample some of the finest food that Europe has to offer and adding a destination like Catania offers that and much more. From amazing views and a mix of history, culture and modern Italy, it’s a city that quite rightly appears on many wish lists and we’re happy to see easyJet expand its offering at Edinburgh Airport.”
Matt Hazelwood, Chief Commercial Officer at AGS Airport’s Ltd, which owns Glasgow Airport, said:
“We are very excited by the news that easyJet will launch this summer route to Porto, particularly given it is a brand-new destination for Glasgow Airport.
“The introduction of a twice-weekly service from 31 March will be welcome news for Scottish leisure travellers looking to visit and explore one of Portugal’s most historic coastal cities.”
Customers can look forward to taking advantage of new routes from Scotland next summer, including:
> Glasgow to Porto will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays from 31 March 2023 with fares available from £29.99*
> Edinburgh to Catania flights will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays from 2 June 2023 with fares available from £31.99*
27 years ago, easyJet’s first-ever flight, EZY121, took off for Glasgow from London Luton. Since then, easyJet has grown to become the largest airline in Scotland and now serves four Scottish airports – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Inverness – offering customers 73 routes to 50 destinations across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and has flown over 102 million passengers to and from Scotland to date.