The low cost airline easyJet today opened its new base at Lisbon airport and announced the addition of opened five routes, which over the next ten years will bring in revenues of €594 million.
The new routes to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bordeaux, Venice and Asturias, join the sixteen already connecting the Portuguese capital to European cities and regions.
The opening of the base follows the memorandum of understanding signed in October 2011 between the Portuguese Government and easyJet - "according to the memorandum signed over five years, the company undertakes to create fifteen new routes from Lisbon. In fact, today's ceremony marks the opening of five new routes," said Portugal’s most unpopular Minister Alvaro Santos Pereira, Economy Minister, during today’s celebrations.
Pereira said that the opening of these routes will have a "positive impact estimated €594 million" and said that easyJet's investment "demonstrates the confidence of foreign investors in Portugal."
Pereira said that the opening of the base created 80 direct jobs, of which ‘about 60’ are occupied by Portuguese workers.
The chief executive of the airline, Carolyn McCall, said that the company has operated in Portugal since 1998, and has transported about 19 million passengers.
Also present at the ceremony, the president of Airports of Portugal (ANA), Guilhermino Rodrigues, said that the choice of easyJet was good for Portugal.
The Secretaries of State for Transport, Sergio Monteiro, and for Tourism, Cecilia Meireles were also at today’s event, bringing the total number of ministers enjoying the hospitality of the airline, to three.
source: algarvedailynews.com
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