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easyJet adds Manchester routes - 8 July 2008

Flying in the face of rising fuel prices and the credit crunch in the UK, budget airline easyJet has announced new routes from Manchester that extend the carrier’s services from the north-west airport to seven routes. In the wake of record passenger numbers, the company has decided to expand into the ski and holiday home markets.

The new routes, to Geneva and Sofia, will begin on the 11th and 12th December and give skiers access to the French and Swiss Alps, as well as the Pirin range in Bulgaria with the resorts of Bansko and Pamporovo nearby. This gives overseas property buyers in the French mountains and in Bulgaria another travel option from the north west of England, and shows the demand in both the property and travel sectors from this part of the country.

easyJet UK commercial manager Carly Brear said, “These two new routes from Manchester are further proof that there is demand for direct low-fare services from the north west to Europe. Geneva has proved an extremely popular destination from all across the UK and it's great that we can now replicate that success from Manchester. The Bulgarian capital, Sofia, is also expected to be popular as more people discover what the city and its surrounding areas have to offer.”

Other airlines are predicting that fares will have to rise in the near future to account for the dramatic rise in fuel prices that has occurred since the beginning of the year. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has said that he expects fares to be at least five per cent higher by the end of this year. Since the collapse of numerous large airlines in recent years and increased competition in the marketplace, carriers have been forced to run their operations on ever-tighter budgets. The rise in fuel costs could tip the balance for many.

This year has already seen the collapse of the business-class only airlines Silverjet, Maxjet and Eos, which all flew from London to New York and partly blamed rising fuel costs for their troubles.

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