Ryanair is reinstating a base in Marseille and opening a new one in Bordeaux as it expands in France as part of its summer 2019 schedule.
Two aircraft will be deployed at each airport with 11 new routes from Marseille and 16 from Bordeaux starting next April.
These include flights to Manchester from both Bordeaux and Marseille and Dublin from Bordeaux.
The return to Marseille follows the French supreme court ruling in the airline’s favour over local employment contracts last week, with the case being returned to the court of appeal in Paris for a re-hearing.
The low cost carrier said at the time it would announce new bases in France as a result.
Chief commercial officer David O’Brien said: “We are pleased to open two new French bases in Bordeaux and Marseille, as we base 4 aircraft and invest $400 million at the airports.
“Our growth will deliver 1.1 million customers p.a. at Bordeaux Airport and 2.4 million customers at Marseille airport, while creating 120 Ryanair jobs across both bases and supporting over 2,500 ancillary jobs in the regions.”
Philippe Bernand, chairman of Marseille Provence airport, added: “We are very pleased with Ryanair’s decision to accelerate its development in Marseille by opening a new base and offering 11 new destinations.
“It is an essential and historical partner of our airport, and more generally of our territory, from a tourist and economic point of view.”
Bordeaux-Mérignac airport chairman Pascal Personne said: “Ryanair’s decision to base two aircraft at Bordeaux Airport is excellent news for the airport and for our region.
“This new base will undeniably represents the opportunity to develop a large number of new destinations.
“We have been actively working with Ryanair since 2009 and we believe that Ryanair’s potential for growth with the commercial power we know they have, is very important for Bordeaux and is a sign of a long-term commitment.”