The low cost carrier Ryanair has recently announced the creation of a new route to Lanzarote from Manchester airport. So once again increasing the range of choice available for tourists based in the UK who are planning to visit the island.
It wasn’t so long ago that the number of airlines flying from the UK to Lanzarote was relatively restricted, with many of the main low cost operators claiming that the four hour journey to the island didn’t sit comfortably with their existing business plans.
That has all changed in recent years however and it is now possible for holidaymakers to choose between all of the main names such as Ryanair, easyJet and Monarch – as well as longer standing suppliers such as Thomson and Thomas Cook. And as a result the cost of flights to Lanzarote has also fallen in real terms over that time, with returns now available from as little as £150 (depending of course on the time of year).
Ryanair´s announcement is part of a wider plan for expansion in the North West of England that also encompasses the creation of new routes to various European destinations from Liverpool John Lennon airport – an initiative that is expected to create around 1000 jobs in the region.
Flights to Lanzarote are now available from all of the main airports in the UK, with the following airlines operating out of each hub.
London Gatwick
Monarch
Thomas Cook
easyJet
Thomson
London Luton
Monarch
Ryanair
Thomson
Birmingham
Monarch
Thomas Cook
Ryanair
Thomson
East Midlands
Ryanair
Jet2
Monarch
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Manchester
Monarch
Jet2
Thomas Cook
Ryanair
Thomson
Liverpool
easyJet
Ryanair
Leeds/Bradford
Jet2
Thomas Cook
Ryanair
Glasgow
Jet2
Thomas Cook
Ryanair
Thomson
There is if course a growing disparity between airlines in terms of baggage allowances and check in policies, so it does pay to research these elements before committing to a booking.
Ryanair remains the largest carrier of tourists to Lanzarote and the Canary Islands by some distance, accounting for around 50% of all foreign holidaymakers. As a result they wield considerable power and have recently been embroiled with the Canarian Government in an ongoing spat about flight subsidies, a row which led to Ryanair cutting a number of routes to the island from mainland Spain, Holland and Germany. As well as a dispute centred around forced landings at Lanzarote airport - which has led to calls for an enquiry by AENA, the Spanish Aviation Authority.