Europe’s leading airline easyJet has given winter tourism in the Balearics a major boost after it announced it has extended its existing summer route from Menorca to London Gatwick to operate throughout the winter meaning the Balearic Island will now be served year-round. The extension of the route to Menorca will provide an additional 16,000 seats throughout the winter with flights set to launch on 6 November 2024, operating twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, providing a boost to Menorca’s international connectivity during the winter season as well as serving demand for connectivity to the Island.
The president of the Council of Menorca, Adolfo Vilafranca, the island’s director of Tourism Promotion, Begoña Mercadal, and the General Director of easyJet in Southern Europe, Javier Gándara, presented the agreement at a press conference in Menorca, representing a further step forward in one of the main objectives of the Consell Insular’s government team, to ensure the year-round connectivity of the island.
Javier Gándara, General Director of easyJet in Southern Europe, said: “We are delighted to announce that our route between Menorca and London Gatwick will now operate all year round. This extension to the winter season not only underlines our commitment to sustained growth in Spain, but also demonstrates our dedication to the local community in Menorca.
“At easyJet, we understand the importance of international connectivity and are proud to contribute to the island’s strategy of year-round connectivity to London and beyond.” Adolfo Vilafranca, President of the Council of Menorca, said: “We are demonstrating our work with concrete facts: this agreement is the result of a lot of hard work and good will to connect the island even more in the low season, guaranteeing international routes during the winter months.
“Being able to have this air route that allows us to be directly connected to London, is the answer to a popular demand in two directions: both from residents of the island who want to fly to the British capital, and from those the United Kingdom who want to visit us between November and March, that is, away from the summer. We are focused on moving towards a sustainable season throughout the year. In fact, the promotional activities agreed with easyJet will be linked to Menorca’s culture, active tourism, gastronomy and nature.”
The Council and the Foundation continue to enhance air connections to promote tourism on the island all year round and provide customers with key connectivity outside of the summer season.
Since launching operations in the Balearic Islands more than 25 years ago, easyJet has carried nearly 45 million passengers and has grown to connects the islands to Europe and the UK on 64 routes. easyJet began operations in Menorca in 2005 with flights from London Gatwick and has carried 3.6 million passengers to date.