Galwegians won’t have to travel too far to take off on a sun holiday this summer, after Ireland West Airport Knock confirmed new flights to Malaga and Majorca.

Low cost airline Ryanair announced a new route from Ireland West Airport Knock to Malaga in the Costa Del Sol, Spain, commencing on 4 April 2013.

Flights will operate on a weekly basis every Thursday throughout the summer season with fares starting from €55 one-way.

Malaga is Ryanair’s sixth sun destination from Ireland West Knock along with services to Alicante, Faro-Algarve, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife.

Ryanair celebrated the announcement of the new Malaga service by releasing 100,000 seats across its European network at prices starting from €10 for travel on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in January.

These low fares will be available on over 1,000 of Ryanair’s European routes but must be booked on www.ryanair.com before midnight on Thursday 20 December.

Welcoming the new route announcement, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director at Ireland West Knock, said it is a great boost for Ireland West Airport Knock to be expanding its network of destinations with Ryanair.

“The addition of a new service to Malaga is most welcome, given the numbers who travel in their thousands every year to the Costa Del Sol.

“We are confident that the Malaga programme will be well received by the public and we look forward to working with Ryanair in promoting the new service.”

Fares exclude the Ireland West Airport Knock Development Fee of €10 which is payable by passengers aged 12 years and over prior to departure.

The regional airport has also teamed up with Irish-owned tour operator Sunway to operate the new charter holiday flight series from Ireland West Knock to Palma-Majorca from 14 June next year. Flights will operate on a weekly basis every Friday until 13 September 2013.

The addition of the Palma-Majorca flights represents the second service that Sunway will operate from Ireland West Airport Knock and joins the weekly programme to Lanzarote, which has operated for the last three years and been hugely successful.

Palma-Majorca has always been a very popular destination for holidaymakers in the West. Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and lies in the Mediterranean Sea, off the south east coast of mainland Spain.

Sunway is offering seven nights in Santa Ponsa from €499, with a family holiday for two adults and two children under 12 starting from €1,869. Both holidays are on a self-catering basis including flights, free 20kg baggage allowance and all taxes.

Tanya Airey, Managing Director with Sunway, said that the operator was delighted to be working with Ireland West Knock for the 2013 season.

Mr Gilmore said it was a “significant boost” for the airport in expanding its network of destinations.

“The addition of a new service to Palma-Majorca is indeed a vote of confidence in Ireland West Knock and our region. We are confident that the Palma-Majorca programme will be well received by the public and we look forward to working with the Sunway team in the forthcoming season and wish them every success in their new venture at the airport.”