Major 2023 schedule shake-up as Ryanair and Aer Lingus introduce new routes to popular holiday destinations

TWO major airlines are set to introduce brand-new travel routes just in time for the busy summer holiday season.

Holidaymakers will be jumping with joy after the announcement of two major schedule shakeups.

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Ryanair today confirmed that it will be operating a new route from Dublin to Venice in April, while Aer Lingus plans to bring in a new route to London from Ireland West Airport Knock in March.

The no-frills airline is set to operate seven weekly flights from Dublin to Venice as part of its summer schedule.

And to celebrate the new route, the budget airline has launched a limited-time seat sale for early bird customers looking to bag themselves a bargain this summer – with fares from just €29.99.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady, said: “With Easter and Summer ’23 fast approaching, we are delighted to be bringing even more choice and value to our Irish customers with the addition of this new Venice route to our Summer ‘23 schedule, offering our customers in Dublin more choice when planning their long-awaited summer holidays.

“For families feeling the post-Christmas pinch, there is no better choice than Ryanair’s industry leading low fares, particularly now that you can spread out the cost of your holiday by paying half the price now and the other half up to 40 days pre-departure when you book Ryanair’s Family Plus bundle, making family holidays easier for everyone.”

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has announced a new route from Ireland West Airport Knock to London Heathrow.

The new service will commence on 26th March 2023 and operate daily.

The new route will replace the current Aer Lingus service to London Gatwick, which will cease operations on 25th March 2023.

Customers already booked on this route will be automatically rebooked on a same day flight. They will also have the options to rebook to a later date, take a voucher, or opt for a refund.

Reid Moody Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Aer Lingus said: “Our new route from Knock to London Heathrow, accompanied with further network connectivity for our customers, is exciting for Aer Lingus and for the West of Ireland.

“With a direct service to one of Europe’s busiest airports, customers from the West will now be able to easily connect from Heathrow to destinations right across the globe.

“The service will also drive inbound tourism at a time when interest in visiting the West of Ireland is very high, with the Oscar nominated Banshees of Inisherin showcasing the beauty of the West of Ireland to millions of people globally.”

The announcement was welcomed by Tourism Ireland chief Niall Gibbons, who branding it “really good news for tourism to Mayo and the Wild Atlantic Way”.

He added: “As an island destination, we know there’s a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, so this new flight will certainly help boost visitor numbers from Britain.

“Tourism Ireland is committed to working with Aer Lingus, Ireland West Airport Knock and our other key partners, to drive demand for this new flight, and all other services to Ireland, and help maintain our vital network of routes and services.

“Great Britain remains a very important market for tourism to the island of Ireland, delivering around 42 per cent of all our overseas visitors. In 2019, we welcomed almost 4.8 million British visitors, whose visits generated approximately €1.45bn for the economy.”