Ryanair to Angouleme

[Brier]

Also posted in the travelling to France forum:

From last weeks Charente Libre newspaper (on-line English language version):

"The scheduled new

Ryanair service between London Stansted and Brie-Champniers airport

near Angoulême has been put back until April 2008. Originally the aim

was to start daily flights with the low-cost airline from October this

year. However, the Angoulême Chamber of Commerce and Industry – who are

negotiating the deal - has now announced a new starting date, saying

that it was worried that starting the service during the off season

would not have been a good idea. ‘It was a risk. Imagine if Ryanair had

not been satisfied with the passenger numbers they were getting – they

could have stopped it the next day,’ said its president Daniel Braud.

‘April is better.’ It’s

estimated that there are around 7,000 British households in the

Charente. Ryanair’s target will be to have flights at least 85 per cent

full. Daniel Braud also said that the work need to lengthen the runway

was now complete. ‘We just need to finish the terminal building now,’

he said, adding that not a great deal of work was required. The

decision to postpone the London flights means that the airport will be

dormant for nearly a year. The loss making Lyon route closes at the end

of May. Daniel Braud said he hoped that the arrival of Ryanair would

ultimately attract other airlines to the airport offering other routes."