Ryanair will see “very strong growth” for tourism in Portugal in 2022, if there are no major upheavals with a pandemic, and will launch 15 new routes in the country from April, which will total 165, according to the announcement by the president. carrier’s executive, Michael O’Leary, at a press conference that took place this Wednesday in Lisbon.

“People in the UK, Ireland or Scandinavia will be going back to the holidays and the beaches, so strong growth is expected in Portugal and Spain,” said O’Leary.

As new routes that Ryanair will launch from April include connections from Porto to Madeira, Billund (in Denmark) or Verona (in Italy), in addition to direct flights from Faro to Nuremberg (in Germany) or Luxembourg.

Ryanair’s executive chairman (CEO) stressed that the company may be “forced” to cancel 20 routes in Lisbon in the summer of 2022, and reduce the number of planes allocated in the capital from seven to four, if TAP does not give up its slots that is not being used.

“We are growing in Madeira, in Faro, and in Porto. We just can’t grow in Lisbon, which makes no sense”, underlined Ryanair’s CEO.

Michael O’Leary appealed to the Prime Minister, António Costa, to “demand TAP to release some of the slots In defense that this decision should not be taken until the end of February – a process on which Ryanair’s decision to withdraw planes from its base in Lisbon depends.

In accordance with European laws, TAP is obliged to communicate the slots that it does not use, but according to Ryanair’s CEO, the company has been doing so “late”, within two to three weeks in advance, which does not allow other airlines to operate.

As advanced to Express Michael O’Leary, the withdrawal of three Ryanair planes from the Lisbon base would mean a reduction of around 300 flights for part of the week low cost. “Portugal needs a strong recovery of tourism in 2022, and I am appealing to the government to help the sector in the post-covid period, forcing TAP to release the slots not”, insisted the owner of the carrier, for whom this situation represents a waste”.

“TAP continues to block slots in Lisbon, while receiving millions of euros, while even us3 will observe in the summer, remembering that Ryanair is willing to “guarantee to invest in Lisbon airport 2022” (ensuring that 2022) has already invested 700 million dollars this winter to allocate seven planes to the base of the Portuguese capital), on condition that the Government of the Coast requests to TAP “until the end of February” the slots that it does not use – stressing that these can be benefited not only by Ryanair but also by “other companies”.

According to Ryanair, the “blocking” of slots on the part of TAP in Lisbon means “a potential loss of more than 250 million dollars for tourism in the country”.

But the carrier’s bet low cost Strong service is available in Lisbon, where it announced promotional fares from 19.99 euros on its flights for the summer of 2022.

Michael O’Leary also stressed at the press conference in Lisbon that Ryanair is willing to invest up to 500 million euros in the new Montijo airport. “Stop postponing this decision, the airport has to be done now”, appealed the company official. low cost.