German airline plans daily flights from Dublin

A German airline plans to run twice-daily flights from Dublin to Germany by next summer as a direct rival to Ryanair, it revealed today.

German Wings, which was established in 2002, recently overtook the Irish carrier as the top low-cost airline in Germany.

The Lufthansa offshoot carried 30,000 passengers on its daily Dublin-Cologne route since February and will maintain up to four flights a week for the winter season.

Deputy managing director Andreas Bierwirth told a Dublin press conference today that it plans to expand to two flights a day next summer as part of its growth strategy.

He said: “We will continue to fly into Cologne but will also open up a new route into Stuttgart.

“Ryanair is spending a lot on advertising in Germany but we are now carrying more passengers.”

The firm employs 80 of its 400 employees at a call centre in Dublin.

Ryanair already flies into its Frankfurt-Hahn hub from Shannon and Farranfore Airport in Co Kerry.

Ryanair's shares were up 7c at €4.13 at lunchtime today.