easyJet today welcomed the decision of the European Commission to award the company 18 new slots at Lisbon airport, previously owned by TAP.
As a result, easyJet will become the number 2 airline at Humberto Delgado airport.
“This decision means that easyJet will be able to offer a wider choice of destinations and affordable fares for people traveling to and from the Portuguese capital. In addition, it also confirms the fundamental role of the airline in the Portuguese market, which will create more opportunities for local employment”, says the airline in a note sent to the newsroom.
The additional capacity allowed by the slots will be implemented from the end of October, with the start of the winter season (October 30, 2022).
It is recalled that easyJet began operating in Portugal in 1998 and opened its base in Lisbon in 2012, where it employs more than 500 people under local contracts.
The airline currently flies to and from 5 airports in Portugal, namely: Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal and Porto Santo.
In the last 24 years, easyJet has transported around 70 million passengers to and from Portugal, opened 3 bases and has 16 locally based aircraft, to which 16 more operate from other bases.
So far, compared to pre-pandemic levels, easyJet has grown +13.1% in Portugal: +14% in Lisbon, +50% in Porto, and +63% in Funchal and the airline has opened its last base Portuguese in Faro in 2021.