Ryanair claims more passengers will fly into Spain’s Costa Blanca next year than before the pandemic

BUDGET airline Ryanair says that passenger numbers will soon return to pre-pandemic levels on services using Alicante-Elche airport.

The forecast came from the firm’s head of marketing, Dara Brady, after a meeting with airport manager, Laura Navarro.

Brady is predicting 90% of 2019 passenger levels by the end of the year and figures to exceed that year’s total in 2022.

The Irish carrier will run 300 weekly services on 74 routes to ten European countries as well as domestic flights during the summer peak season.

The operator has launched eight new summer routes into Alicante-Elche airport and claims that seat occupancy numbers stand at over 70%.

Dara Brady said: “Air traffic will skyrocket during July and August thanks to the vaccination campaign.”

“We expect next year to recover passenger numbers to what we had before the pandemic and to even exceed those levels,” he added.

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