Ryanair reports record advanced bookings on Stansted summer routes

Low fares airline Ryanair has launched its inaugural flight from Stansted to Sofia in Bulgaria and confirmed that it has taken record advance bookings on its summer schedule for the Essex hub.

This includes four new routes to Milan Malpensa, Palanga, Sofia and Verona and will deliver over 20 million customers a year while helping to support 15,000 on-site jobs at the airport.

Ryanair says that 34 aircraft will be based at the hub to deliver flights across a network of 130 routes from Stansted this summer.

Ryanair’s sales and marketing executive, Lisa Buckley said: “We are delighted with the strength of the forward bookings on our 130 routes to London Stansted as part of our summer 2016 schedule.

“We are especially excited to celebrate our inaugural flight to Sofia and our other three new summer routes to Milan Malpensa, Palanga, and Verona, which will deliver 20m customers a year at Stansted.”

Stansted Airport’s marketing manager, Neringa Öhrström, added: “The launch of Ryanair’s service to Sofia is fantastic news and is another exciting new addition to Stansted’s extensive route network which already serves more scheduled destinations in Europe than any other UK airport.”

• PHOTOGRAPH: Ryanair’s sales and marketing executive, Lisa Buckley and Stansted Airport’s marketing manager, Neringa Öhrström with Ryanair crew members Federica Garsia, Armando Sousa and Hugo Vilaca.