Low-cost carrier easyJet has unveiled four new summer 2027 routes from regional French airports, three of which will strengthen UK connectivity: Bastia–Manchester, Ajaccio–London Gatwick and Montpellier–Bristol. A fourth service, Biarritz–Málaga, targets Spanish leisure traffic. Announced on 26 September, the expansion underscores airlines’ confidence in demand for secondary-city pairings that bypass congested hubs. The Bastia and Ajaccio links will give UK corporates with Mediterranean projects—especially in renewable-energy and hospitality—direct access to Corsica without Paris connections, reducing door-to-door journey times by up to three hours. From a global-mobility perspective, the Montpellier–Bristol route plugs a gap for life-science clusters in both cities, simplifying travel for researchers who currently face transfers at Amsterdam or Charles de Gaulle. The new services will operate twice weekly from late March 2027, with fares starting at €34 each way. EasyJet says the routes were made possible by slot releases at Gatwick following schedule retiming after this month’s air-traffic-control disruptions. The carrier also highlights reduced carbon burn on the Airbus A320neo fleet versus previous-generation jets, aligning with corporate travellers’ ESG reporting requirements. Travel managers should review preferred-supplier agreements as the additional capacity could trigger lower fares in competing markets served by Air France, Ryanair or Volotea. Bilateral seat growth also strengthens the case for reciprocal youth-mobility arrangements currently under negotiation, by providing more direct links for internships and graduate placements.
Source: The Connexion
