Ryanair to open base at Budapest on 17-Feb-2012 following Malev grounding
Ryanair announced (03-Feb-2012) plans to open a base in Budapest in two weeks time, following the grounding of Malev on 02-Feb-2012. The carrier will base four new Boeing 737-800 aircraft at Budapest Airport on 17-Feb-2012 and will open 31 new routes. This is expected to deliver up to 2 million passengers p/a at the airport, "replacing most of the traffic and routes lost by Budapest" following the Malev grounding. Ryanair, which currently employs over 700 Hungarian pilots and cabin crew, will be holding an open recruitment day in Budapest on 07-Feb-2012, inviting job applications from Malev pilots, cabin crew and engineers. Ryanair claims this is the "largest ever investment in Hungarian aviation and tourism" and it is subject to reaching final agreement with Budapest Airport on costs, facilities and handling. Ryanair's Deputy CEO Michael Cawley has travelled to Budapest to finalise these negotiations with Budapest Airport and the Hungarian Government. The carrier noted that because it has grounded up to 80 aircraft this winter, it has the capacity to respond immediately to the Malev grounding by moving aircraft, pilots and crews to Budapest within two weeks. The 31 new routes to/from Budapest will be as follows: Alicante (from Apr-2012), Baden Baden (from Feb-2012), Barcelona (from Feb-2012), Birmingham (from Mar-2012), Bologna (from Mar-2012), Bristol (from Mar-2012), Brussels Charleroi (from Feb-2012), Chania (from Apr-2012), Dublin (from Feb-2012), Eindhoven (from Apr-2012), Gottenburg (from Feb-2012), Hamburg (from Feb-2012), Krakow (from Feb-2012), London Stansted (from Feb-2012), Madrid (from Feb-2012), Malaga (from Apr-2012), Manchester (from Feb-2012), Munich West (from Feb-2012), Milan Bergamo (from Feb-2012), Warsaw Modlin (Jul-2012), Oslo (from Feb-2012), Palma (from Apr-2012), Paphos (Apr-2012), Paris (from Feb-2012), Pisa (Apr-2012), Rhodes (from Feb-2012), Rome Ciampino (from Feb-2012), Stockholm (from Feb-2012), Thessaloniki (from Feb-2012), Trapani (Apr-2012) and Venice (Apr-2012). [more - original PR] [more - CAPA Analysis]