New Ryanair flights 'going well' for airport

Ryanair began operating new flights from Norwich Airport in April

An airport boss said the introduction of new Ryanair flights to European holiday destinations had been "really going well".

The budget airline began flying from Norwich Airport to Alicante, Faro and Malta in April.

Airport managing director Richard Pace said most flights had left the tarmac at near-full capacity.

He said he was very hopeful of offering additional flights next summer.

"We’re having six flights a week to Alicante, Faro and Malta and we’re carrying between 9,000 and 10,000 customers on those routes, so it’s really going well," he said.

"The sales have been really good and Ryanair’s flights go out nearly full."

Mr Pace said introducing Ryanair flights had "boosted" the airport's profile

Mr Pace said the airport began working with Ryanair to offer more choice to customers, while the airline wanted to continue its UK expansion.

The no-frills airline announced additional flights for the October half-term holiday and it would continue to fly to Alicante from Norwich Airport over the winter.

"That just shows you what support we’ve had from the local travelling public," he added.

Up to 10,000 Ryanair passengers a week have been flying from Norwich Airport

Norwich Airport, 2.5 miles (4km) north of the city centre, has the capacity to handle 1.2 million passengers each year.

However, Mr Pace said they were currently operating at just under 500,000.

Passenger numbers were continuing to recover following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Obviously, we’ve got a long way to go to reach that capacity," he added.

Last month, Ryanair said it expected to offer lower fares this summer after company profits fell by almost 50%.