easyJet Ups Portugal Network With 21 New Lisbon Routes

The added routes will make easyJet the second-biggest airline in Lisbon based on capacity.


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easyJet is expanding its operations from Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport after being allocated 18 new daily slots by the European Commission. The low-cost carrier announced that it would base three additional Airbus A321neos, the airline's largest aircraft, to enable the launch of new routes and increased frequencies across its network.

TAP Air Portugal previously held the 18 daily slots, but the flag carrier had to surrender the slots as agreed with the European Commission when it took the Ђ2.55 billion (USD 2.57 billion) financial restructuring package. easyJet subsequently secured the rights to negotiate for the slot transfers during an open competition.

Read more: easyJet Airbus A319 Escorted By Spanish Air Force On The Way To Menorca

easyJet's Lisbon winter schedule

In total, easyJet will launch 21 new routes, including Porto Santo, and will increase frequencies to eight countries, including a new twice-weekly winter service from Birmingham to Lisbon. More new routes include Barcelona, Milan Bergamo, Zurich, and many more. Flights are scheduled to go on sale from August 15th.

Country	Destination	Start Date	Weekly Frequencies
United Kingdom	Birmingham	November 2nd	2
Spain	Barcelona	October 30th	4
	Bilbao	November 1st	2
	Fuerteventura	October 31st	2
	Gran Canaria	October 31st	2
	Tenerife South	November 2nd	2
	Valencia	November 1st	3
	Madrid	Added frequencies	20
France	Marseilles	November 1st	3
	Toulouse	October 30th	4
	Limoges	December 13th	2
	Bordeaux	Added frequencies	11
	Lyon	Added frequencies	9
	Nice	Added frequencies	6
	Nantes	Added frequencies	7
Switzerland	Zurich	October 30th	4
	Geneva	Added frequencies	19
Italy	Milan Malpensa	Added frequencies	14
	Milan Bergamo	October 30th	3
Morocco	Marrakech	October 31st	2
Portugal	Porto Santo	October 30th	2

More seats this winter

In the last 26 years, the London-based low-cost carrier has carried around 69 million passengers to and from Portugal. And with the addition of the trio of Airbus A321neos, easyJet will make approximately 1.75 million seats available this winter to and from Lisbon, increasing the low-cost carrier's overall capacity in Portugal. The additions also enable easyJet to create around 130 direct jobs in Portugal, where the airline currently employs more than 500 people.

José Lopes, easyJet Country Manager for Portugal, commented:

"Despite the challenging external environment, we've never stopped investing in Portugal in the last two years, opening a new base In Faro in 2021 and continuously launching new routes from both Lisbon and Porto throughout the period. By the end of the year, we will contribute significantly to the connectivity of the country and playing a key role in supporting the national economy."

Compared to pre-pandemic levels, easyJet’s capacity has grown 51% in Portugal, +61% in Lisbon, +69% in Oporto, +2% in Faro, and +66% in Funchal, and it has started to operate into Porto Santo. From the start of this year's winter season, easyJet will have a total of 19 aircraft based in Portugal, a network of more than 80 routes to and from the country, and expects to carry 10.3 million passengers annually. Despite the significant increment, easyJet will still fall short of TAP Air Portugal's capacity at Lisbon airport and will rank as the second-biggest airline.

Bottom line

Airport disruptions during the first half of this year have affected easyJet greatly, forcing the low-cost carrier to become quite the culprit for mass cancelations and flight delays. And despite reaching nearly 90% of its pre-pandemic capacity, easyJet still posted a considerable loss when factoring in all the inconveniences. Fortunately for the airline, the winter schedule from Lisbon airport alone seems able to bring it several inches closer to pre-pandemic levels for capacity. easyJet will undoubtedly be having a busy winter, and hopefully, the season will be less disruptive than this summer.