easyJet, Europe's leading airline, has announced today that the airline has chosen Palma as the location of its first seasonal base and will have three Airbus A319/320 aircraft based there for eight months of the year starting in Spring 2017.

easyJet has flown more than 17 million passengers to and from Palma since its operations began in 1997 and currently carries over 1.7 million passengers a year from 22 bases across its European network. Palma remains one of the most popular summer destinations from the UK and Northern Europe and so basing aircraft there better matches customer demand which is higher from early Spring to late Summer. In the future the move will also help easyJet connect the island with more airports across Europe not currently served by the airline.

With this investment, easyJet's contribution to the local economy will increase as it will see the airline creating more than 120 direct pilots and cabin crew jobs in Palma, all compliant with the Spanish labour legislation. It will also give easyJet's pilots and cabin crew around Europe wishing to transfer an alternative lifestyle option of living and working in Majorca for eight months of the year with four months off.

Carolyn McCall, easyJet's CEO, said:

'I am pleased to be announcing the first seasonal base in our network. This is another example of developing new initiatives to make our business model even more efficient. The base provides a solution that matches the seasonal needs of the market. Palma is one of our most popular destinations and so with the new base we will be able to better respond to customer demand.'

easyJet builds on solid foundations in Spain where the airline has operated for many years. easyJet has recently opened a new base at El Prat International Airport, Barcelona, with three Airbus A320 and plans to carry over 13.6 million passengers to and from Spain this year, a 4% increase from 2015. 14 new routes have been announced for this summer, two of which are to and from Palma (Amsterdam - Palma and Nice - Palma).

ENDS

For further information, please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252, log onto www.easyjet.com or follow @easyJet_Press

DESTINATIONS TO/FROM PALMA FOR SUMMER 2016

Amsterdam (NEW), Basel, Belfast, Berlin Schoenefeld, Bristol, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Hamburg, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, London Southend, Lyon, Manchester, Milan Malpensa, Naples, Newcastle, Nice (NEW), Paris Charles De Gaulle, Toulouse

PALMA FACT SHEET

Operations launch 1997
Market share 7,2%
Position at the airport #5 (#1 re traffic to/from the UK)
Destinations 22
New routes 2016 2 - Amsterdam and Nice
Passengers/year FY2016 (+/- % vs LY) 1.7m (+8% vs LY)
Weekly flights in peak 426

SPAIN FACT SHEET

Operations launch 1996
Market share 8%
Bases 1 (BCN)
Position #5
Destinations 154
New routes 2016 14
Passengers/year FY2016 (+/- % vs LY) 13.6m (+4% vs LY)
Weekly flights in peak 2256

easyjet plc issued this content on 13 April 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 14 April 2016 13:59:34 UTC

Original Document: http://mediacentre.easyjet.com/stories/9756