Derby,
12
March
2019
|
17:25
Europe/Amsterdam

Ryanair launches new East Midlands route to Nantes

Summary

A new twice weekly route to Nantes Atlantique (France) from East Midlands Airport (EMA) has been launched with Ryanair.

Bookings can now be made for the service which starts in July as part of Ryanair’s East Midlands Summer 2019 schedule. It brings to 42 the total number of routes Ryanair operate from EMA.

Situated in the estuary of the Loire, the west Brittany city of Nantes boasts a unique architectural heritage with its magnificent Château des ducs de Bretagne, a Renaissance-style castle nestled in a fortress, a medieval quarter and one of the tallest cathedrals in France. The city has undergone significant transformation in the last 20 years and today it is a vibrant metropolis renowned for art and culture and its quality of life. In 2013 Nantes was named Green Capital of Europe in 2013. Its economic clout makes it France's third largest industrial city and second most successful in terms of employment growth.

With flights from EMA to Bergerac, Carcassonne, Chambery, Dinard, La Rochelle, Limoges and Nice, the addition of Nantes means that France is well-served from the East Midlands. Whether travellers enjoy skiing, wine tasting, exploring heritage and culture or sunbathing on the Atlantic Coast, all of this is within just over an hour’s reach of EMA.

Karen Smart, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, said:

“We’re delighted that Ryanair is launching a brand-new route from East Midlands to Nantes in July. This opens up the spectacular Loire Valley and Western Brittany giving passengers an even greater choice of destinations for exploring France’s rich and varied culture. This further strengthens our offer as the airport of choice for short-haul trips to Europe this summer whether it be Mediterranean beach holidays, city breaks or rugged Atlantic landscapes that holiday makers are after.”

The new Nantes route with Ryanair is on sale now by visiting www.ryanair.com

The lure of warmer climes has been driving passenger numbers up on some routes from EMA during the winter months. February saw an increase in demand for flights to Portugal and the Canary Islands (up 33.6% and +4.7% respectively on the same month last year).

As the end of March looms, EMA is gearing up for its busy summer season. More staff have been recruited to security, car parking and other passenger facing roles while plans to improve facilities have been submitted too. It is hoped that an extended arrivals hall will be operational by the end of July benefitting some of the three million plus passengers who are expected to fly to and from EMA between the months of April and October.