The easyJet base at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport celebrated its first year in Lyon on April 16, with extremely satisfying results for the largest low-cost airline in France, which set up in Lyon with the help of ADERLY and ONLYLYON, in particular.
The numbers say it all: from April 2008 to April 2009, easyJet carried over one million passengers to and from Lyon, on 12 domestic and European air routes. Whereas the airline had forecast an occupancy rate between 70% and 80% for the first year, Lyon exceeded all expectations, with an average of 85%.
Encouraged by these excellent results, the airline is pursuing its development in Lyon: it will soon begin service to four summer destinations: Pisa, Ibiza, Olbia (Sardinia) and Biarritz. What's more, Terminal 3, where the airline is located, will have an aircraft permanently based at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport starting next winter, meaning that forty direct jobs will be created immediately.
By setting up in Lyon, easyJet chose to take up a challenge: being the first low-cost airline to launch regional domestic flights, and this has turned out to be a winning strategy.
Andy Harrison, the CEO of easyJet, commented on the airline's good results in Lyon:
"We are especially satisfied with our results in Lyon: one year, one million passengers and good occupancy rates in spite of the economic conditions. And above all else, it seems that the people of Lyon and Rhône-Alpes have adopted easyJet, which is now, more than ever, the Vélo'v of the sky! easyJet will use Lyon to build its future development: this is why we have decided to base a third aircraft at Lyon-Saint Exupéry. This is a vote of confidence, and shows our gratitude to Aéroports de Lyon, which have supported our development."
