The low-cost carrier will add bases at Nice and Toulouse next year, joining existing facilities at Paris Orly, Paris CDG and Lyon.
The new bases will be operational for the summer 2012 schedules, with two A319 aircraft at each airport, enabling five new routes from Nice to destinations including Toulouse, Nantes and Bordeaux, and a further five from Toulouse to cities including Basel and Brussels.
The routes will go on sale at the end of November, and will take the total number of regional and European destinations served by Easyjet out of France to 37, making it the country’s second largest airline behind flag carrier Air France.
Commenting on the news, Easyjet’s Customer and Revenue Director Catherine Lynn, said that low-cost penetration in France was just 24 per cent – half the European average, adding that “this strategic investment will allow us to strengthen our position in one of Europe’s key markets”.
The move follows Air France’s recent decision to expand its regional services, with the first tranche of new flights from Marseille commencing on October 2. The carrier says it “intends to continue this strategy in spring 2012 in Toulouse and Nice and next summer in Bordeaux”.
For more information visit easyjet.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
