easyJet is expanding its bases in Italy at Milan Malpensa and Naples and the opening of a new base in Venice from April‎ 2016.  The airline plans to support this expansion by redeploying aircraft and crew from Rome Fiumicino.

easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall‎ outlined the airline’s plans:

“Italy is a key strategic country for easyJet and our plans for 2016 announced today will expand our presence at Milan, Naples and Venice, where there are more opportunities for long term sustainable and profitable growth, while ensuring we continue to connect Rome Fiumicino with Europe in a way that best reflects passenger demand.

“Milan, Naples and Venice are all centres of important Italian economic regions.  Each has high levels of passenger demand from leisure as well as business passengers and all have demand for flights both into and out of Italy.

“Our expansion in these three airports will bring thousands of direct and indirect jobs in each region and will ensure easyJet remains the largest airline at each airport giving all three cities the best network connecting them with the rest of Europe.

“At a time when there are significant profitable growth opportunities for easyJet across Europe we are continuing to make a very significant investment in Italy.  easyJet has grown steadily in Italy in recent years in terms of investment and jobs and will base 29 aircraft in the country next year, employing over 1000 pilots, cabin crew and other staff and supporting thousands more direct and indirect jobs.”

easyJet also announced that it is to open a new base in Barcelona from February 2016, basing three Airbus aircraft there. Barcelona has always been a key network point for easyJet and the base opening consolidates easyJet’s strong position at Barcelona carrying almost three million passengers a year to and from 14 airports across Europe.

With aircraft based at the airport business travellers will be able to benefit from earlier departures as well as an increased number of flights on existing routes connecting to primary airports in Europe such as London, Paris, Geneva and Milan.

easyJet will open a base at Venice Marco Polo Airport starting from April 2016.  With four Airbus aircraft based at the airport, easyJet will increase its contribution to the local economy by providing 150 local jobs for pilots and cabin crew. 

Venice has for some time been a key network point for easyJet, having operated flights into and out of the city since 1998. The airline has increased the number of passengers carried by an average rate of 15% per year over the last five years.  easyJet currently flies to Venice from 15 primary airports across Europe - such as London Gatwick, Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle - and is the largest airline at Marco Polo Airport.

As well as being a world famous tourist destination the region is Italy’s third largest economy and 28% of easyJet’s 1.6 million passengers on flights to and from Venice are travelling on business.  This will be further enhanced when aircraft are based at the airport as business travellers will be able to benefit from early morning departures.