In a surprise move Ryanair has said it will reinstate flights linking London Stansted with Brussels'Charleroi airport next summer.
The route was operated until a few years ago when Ryanair pulled the plug in a dispute with the EC over subsidies it was receiving from the Wallonia regional government, which owns Charleroi airport.
The relaunched flights will start on June 1 but the schedules may not be suitable for all business people. That's because Ryanair intends to operate a single flight five times a week (daily except Tuesday and Saturday) departing Stansted at 1555 (to arrive in Charleroi at 1810) and returning from Belgium at 1515 (reaching the UK at 1530). Fares lead-in at £34 return.
It might seem strange to be restarting this route a few months before Eurostar switches its high-speed train service from Waterloo to St Pancras, which will be more convenient for passengers living north of the capital.
But there is currently no air service to Brussels from either Luton or Stansted and the use of Charleroi may benefit travellers destined for areas away from the Belgian capital.
For more information go to ryanair.com.
Report by Alex McWhirter
