Sun-seekers score as price war erupts on Canaries routes

A HOLIDAY price war has erupted as Ryanair takes on Aer Lingus in offering flights to the Canary Islands for about €60 return.

Aer Lingus has been flying to the Canary Islands for the past four years and the destination has proved popular for Irish sun-seekers.

However, Ryanair announced yesterday that it is now offering flights from Shannon and Dublin to Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.

It would not comment on any plans it has to operate flights from Cork. The flights are available in November and December from just over €60 return.

Aer Lingus said its routes to the Canary Islands are “extremely popular” and a spokeswoman said the airline is offering a sale on the destinations for certain dates in October and November at €99 return, including taxes and charges. Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Lanzarote, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, and from Cork to Lanzarote and Tenerife.

Ryanair said it is opening 39 new routes from Europe to the Canary Islands starting in October because there are no tourist taxes in Spain and the airline has received a 100% discount on airport charges this winter.

Ryanair’s deputy chief executive Michael Cawley said: “The continuation of these routes past March 31, 2010, will be dependent on the extension of these vital discounts.

“We are confident that in the current climate of reduced traffic and tourism in Spain and the Canary Islands that the Spanish Government will see the wisdom of extending low airport costs not just inthe Canary Islands but throughout Spain.”

Ryanair claims the new routes will bring two million passengers, create 2,000 jobs and deliver a visitor spend of more than €386 million.

It will carry passengers on 16 new routes to Gran Canaria, 15 to Lanzarote and eight to Tenerife on its winter schedule.

As well as Shannon and Dublin, outbound services will depart from Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Glasgow Prestwick, Liverpool, London Luton and London Stansted airports.

This signals that despite the airline claiming that it is not expanding in Ireland and Britain because of government travel taxes, it is still doing so.