The Kilkenny Observer Friday 27 August 2021
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kilkennyobserver.ie
Travel & Leisure
The Italian job - and a deal - as travel reopens
BY FIONN DAVENPORT
GROUP holiday specialist Travel Department welcomed its first customers back to Italy last week on its Lake Como, Milan and St Moritz tour including the Bernina Express. Sara Zimmerman, CEO, Travel Department: “We were delighted to welcome our first customers back to Lake Como this week.
“It’s clear that many of those joining our tour, whether first timers or returning customers, really welcomed the reassurance of travelling with a trusted tour operator with best in class safety standards.” Congratulations to the Travel Department – another good sign that travel is on its way back! To celebrate being back in
Italy Travel Department has launched its Italy Offer which gives €50pp* off any seven-night or more 2022 holiday to Italy by using the code: VP-ITALY50 when booked before September 30. Everything is included from flights, accommodation, transfers, and excursions to an expert local guide.
Ryanair, yet again, pulls out of Belfast BY FIONN DAVENPORT RYANAIR has announced that it will cease its services from Belfast International Airport and Belfast City in the autumn. This means Ryanair will operate no services from or into Northern Ireland. The carrier will stop flying to Alicante, Barcelona (Girona), Gdansk, Krakow, London Stansted, Malaga, Malta, Manchester, Milan (Bergamo) and Warsaw from Belfast International on October 30. Routes from Belfast City to Spain, Portugal and Italy will cease on September 12. Ryanair had reintroduced services had from Belfast City on June 1 last but strictly on a seasonal basis. However, a spokesperson for Belfast International Airport was quoted in the Belfast Telegraph as saying: “It is disappointing that Ryanair has now decided to withdraw operations
from the entire Northern Ireland market at the end of October, having variously had a presence in all three local airports in recent years. “It has been a difficult period for aviation and a time when consumers need some stability and faith in the Northern Ireland air transport network.” The spokesperson admitted the move was expected: “As we have been anticipating such a move, we have been engaging with our existing and other new airlines to provide continuity on the routes to be vacated by Ryanair, and to help sustain employment in the aviation industry at a local level in Northern Ireland. “To this end, we hope to be able to make announcements regarding fresh route development in the near future.” The airline terminated its service from City of Derry Airport earlier this summer.
