“We had 50,000 passengers in the first four months since we operate on Otopeni and we expect 190,000 passengers in the first year of activity. The average aircraft load factor stood at 85%,” said Katarzyna Gaborec, Ryanair marketing manager for Central and Eastern Europe.
On the Bucharest-London route, Ryanair competes with Romanian state-run Tarom, with British Airways and low-cost carriers Wizz Air, Blue Air and easyJet.
Asked why Ryanair gave up flights from Constanta and Targu Mures, Gaborec said the decision was tied to the company’s commercial policy and she would not comment on it.
Internationally, Ryanair operates with 303 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a 189-seat capacity each, and in 2013 carried 84 million passengers.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)