• 22 Nov, 2013
• Business, Nature

Ireland West Airport Knock are delighted to announce a major boost for the West of Ireland with the news that one of Europes largest airlines, Germanwings, will commence new direct services from Cologne in Germany starting in May 2014.

Starting May 31st 2014, Germanwings, which is wholly owned by Europes largest airline, Lufthansa, will operate direct flights to and from Cologne-Bonn every Saturday until the end of October.  Connecting services to their expanded network of over 80 destinations worldwide will also be bookable as part of the new service.  From Cologne/Bonn airport the cities of Cologne and Bonn are only 15 minutes away with both Dusseldorf and Frankfurt also within 90 minutes drive.

This new announcement is a major boost for tourism in the West, North West and Midlands regions of Ireland as it provides the only direct access to the West Coast from this region in Germany. Over 400,000 Germans visit Ireland each year with more than 200,000 visiting the West and North West of Ireland annually.

These new services will generate an additional 9,000 seats to and from Germany in summer 2014 bringing an estimated 4,000 German tourists to the region, generating a spend in excess of €2,000,000 for the West, North West and Midlands regions.

Welcoming this major announcement Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, Michael Ring TD said, “I’m delighted to welcome the announcement by Germanwings today to operate a new service from Cologne in Germany to Ireland West Airport which is another positive development in 2013, the year of the Gathering.  It is no secret that Germans love the product on offer in this region with over 200,000 coming to the region each year and this new direct service will further enhance our profile in Germany. We look forward to welcoming thousands of German visitors to the West next summer and wish Germanwings every success with the new service’


Welcoming the announcement, Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “The introduction of this new Germanwings service is good news indeed and will expand travel options for German holidaymakers wishing to visit Mayo and the West of Ireland in 2014. We look forward to working closely with Germanwings and Ireland West Airport Knock to maximise the promotion of this new route and to help drive demand for the flights. Over the coming months, we will be rolling out a comprehensive programme of co-operative promotions in Germany in conjunction with Germanwings.
Joe Gilmore, Managing Director Ireland West Airport Knock added “We are delighted to welcome Germanwings to the airport.  Ireland West Airport Knock, is one of only two airports in the country with direct flights to and from the Cologne Bonn area in Germany, serving a region from the South West right up to the North West and across to the Midlands so this represents a major boost for tourism in the region and we are delighted that Germanwings and Lufthansa recognises Ireland West Airport Knock as their major international gateway to the West of Ireland’.

Starting May 31st 2014  flights from Ireland West Airport Knock to Cologne-Bonn will depart every Saturday at 14:15pm with fares starting at just €79.99 one way, until the end of October.  For further airport information log onto www.irelandwestairport.com; and for information on fares and to book flights log onto www.germanwings.com

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About Cologne & Germanwings

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.
Cologne Cathedral has 6.5 million annual visitors and is the most visited site in Germany (UNESCO World Heritage).

Cologne is a major cultural center of the Rhineland; it is home to more than thirty museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne, Gamescom, and the Photokina. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne.
Lufthansa und Germanwings

For almost 11 years, Germanwings has appealed to travellers across Europe thanks to its excellent price–performance ratio. As part of Lufthansa Group, it is now taking on an increasingly important role within the company. Lufthansa is transferring all connections within Germany and across Europe to Germanwings, except all flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt. Thanks to this closer cooperation, Germanwings customers will be able to benefit even more from Lufthansa’s high service and safety standards in future.
 
The new fare system
With a high level of quality and competitive price structure, Germanwings offers the best price–performance ratio amongst the European low-cost carriers. The launch of a new fare system with flexible and individual options enables passengers to adapt their flight experience to suit their needs. The entry-level BASIC fare from is the classic low-cost product: a ‘no-frills flight offer’ for price-conscious passengers. Those who want to benefit from additional services such as choosing a seat, checked luggage and snacks and drinks on board, will find the SMART fare ideal.

This standard fare also offers Europe’s biggest seat pitch for even more comfort. On selected routes, there is even a third option: the BEST fare with maximum service and comfort levels. On Irish and some other European routes, it is currently only possible to book the BASIC and SMART fares.
 
You can find more detailed information at http://www.germanwings.com/en/Company-Success-through-trust-Current-information.htm