Ryanair to open Treviso base in 2Q21, closes Vienna at YE20

Ryanair (FR, Dublin Int’l) will deploy two B737-800s to Venice Treviso Sant Angelo Airport to cover an anticipated surge in demand for business and leisure travel during the Summer 2021 season. The Irish budget carrier said in a statement it will use the Boeing jets to operate a total of 45 domestic Italian and international routes spanning over 20 countries across Europe and the Middle East. Of that figure, 18 will be new services including Alghero, Alicante, Frankfurt Hahn, Paphos, Pescara, Riga, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, Thessaloniki, Trapani. Overall, a total of USD200 million will be invested to generate 60 new jobs. Given the impact of COVID-19 on Italy’s economy, Treviso currently sees no scheduled air services as those that would have been operated this winter have been consolidated at Venice Marco Polo. Besides Treviso, Ryanair also has a major presence in Verona and at Venice Marco Polo. During the Summer 2021 season, Ryanair said it will operate six routes from Venice Marco Polo (four domestic / two international) and will increase frequencies on three routes, including Barcelona El Prat (up to 10x weekly), London Stansted (up to 19x weekly), and Palermo (up to 12x weekly). Verona will see nine routes (five domestic and four international) with increased frequencies on flights to Birmingham Int’l (up to 2x weekly) and Cagliari (up to 4x weekly). Meanwhile, across the border in Austria, Ryanair has confirmed it will close its Vienna base at the end of the year with staff offered placements at any of Dublin Int’l, Athens Int’l, or Thessaloniki. An internal communique seen by Austria’s Aviation Direct said effective January 1, 2020, the three B737s Ryanair has stationed out of the Austrian capital will be removed and will be replaced with capacity based at other airports as well as aircraft operated by fellow Ryanair Holdings subsidiary Malta Air (AL, Malta Int’l). The move is part of the Irish LCC’s decision to shutter its Lauda (OE, Vienna) subsidiary in October citing its lack of cost-effectiveness.