After years of having been shut off from the Balearics during the winter, people living in Scotland are going to be able to enjoy regular direct flights to Palma next winter. Over the past few years, the Majorca Daily Bulletin, on behalf of tens of thousands of readers here in the Balearics and in the UK, has been campaigning for more winter flights, not just from Scotland but the UK in general. And now, Ryanair has come to Scotland’s rescue.
The airline has announced that it has added six new routes from Edinburgh, four from Glasgow and three from Prestwick to its winter 2016 schedule, and one of those is Palma.
The airline will launch new twice weekly services from Edinburgh to Bologna, Bordeaux, Bratislava, Gran Canaria, Palma, Majorca and Poznan in its winter 2016 schedule. Ryanair will also increase the frequency of flights to Alicante, Malaga and Barcelona, Copenhagen, Rome and Tenerife.
Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said: "We are pleased to launch our Edinburgh winter 2016 schedule, which includes six new winter services to Bologna, Bordeaux, Bratislava, Gran Canaria, Palma and Poznan, and more flights on six other routes, which will deliver 2.5 million customers per annum and support 1,900 jobs, as we grow our Edinburgh traffic by 20 per cent."
Ryanair is also adding four new services from Glasgow Airport to its winter schedule to Alicante and Malaga and Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. The budget airline is also launching three new services from Glasgow Prestwick - where it is currently the only carrier - to Barcelona and Madrid and Faro. Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said the new routes would "deliver over 1.8 million customers per annum and support 1,400 jobs at Glasgow and Prestwick airports".
Many years ago, when there were winter flights between Scotland and Majorca, Calvia Council used to organise a host of events for winter visitors, in particular golf. The Balearic Golf Federation has been one of many sectors which has complained about the damage done to its business by the lack of winter flights: now they can look forward to all-year activity. It also opens up a whole new list of options for hoteliers, resorts and resort businesses and complementary tourism sector as a whole: not to mention the real estate market.
The decision has come as a surprise because earlier this winter Ryanair threw the gauntlet down to the airport authority Aena and a number of airports, including Palma’s Son Sant Joan, promising to bring at least 1.5 million visitors every winter provided airport operating fees were dropped. Aena refused. However, it doesn't appear to have put Ryanair off and other airlines may follow.
Ryanair sources in Ireland confirmed to the Bulletin today that the winter programme will run from October to March, so that means that Scotland will have year-round connections to Majorca.
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Good for Scotland. Now how about Ireland? All those people who have apartments in Santa Ponsa (and elsewhere) cannot get from the Emerald Isle directly to Mallorca for nearly half the year. The first is the day after St Patrick's day for a whopping 225 euros!
Editor your campaign has been fantastic. Scotland will now have two flights a week to Majorca. Thanks to Ryanair. The Scottish Government have reduced airport passenger duty by 50% and intend to phase it out completely. The Majorcan touristic and airport authorities must reduce their landing charges similar to other airports like Benidorm. I understand from the daily bulletin on 8 January that Benidorm had an occupation rate of 80% for the second half of December when the occupation rate in Majorca was only about 2%. Their is a group 365 promoting tourism in Palma and hopefully they can attract more people to Palma in the winter. The proposed tourist tax if it applies in the winter could have a detrimental effect on winter tourism. When I returned to the uk in late January there were 75 flights on the departure board and only one to the uk. That's shows how far British Tourism has fallen.
Great a majority of the hotels are closed , the flights will bring more stag and hen parties that have put most families from coming to mallorca and magaluf in particular, you made your own bed and you are now reaping what you once welcomed with open arms
magaluf is closed in the winter, and very cold too.better off in the canaries much hotter and open
Some people are never satisfied!! Top marks to RyanAir for a forward thinking decision which will bring lots more tourists and homeowners and guarantee many jobs for the winter. But don't those Wegies still not know that Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.???
Great news after along campaign but do Ryanair not know that more people live in the west of Scotland! That aside well done for at least offering a direct flight from Scotland.
GREAT News,pity its not Glasgow but Edinburgh will do.Coming to Majorca in January/17,just makes it so much easier,cheaper and quicker well done Ryanair.