Airport News
with Robbie Shaw
Robbie Shaw lives near Gatwick where he was an Air Traffic Controller and travels regularly to his place in Collioure. His wife describes him as an ‘aviation geek’, just what we need in fact. 🙂
He travels all over the world photographing aircraft, but manages to fit in many hours trawling local airport sites to keep us up to date with flights between the region and UK & Irish airports….and any other airport news that seems relevant.
A word from Robbie
AIRPORT NEWS WINTER 2025-2026
This was compiled in mid October 2025, but no doubt within a few weeks, there will be changes, so please continually check airline websites. REMEMBER THIS FEATURE IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY.
The winter season starts on Sunday 26th October till 28th March, and as in previous years the Pyrenees-Orientales region is poorly served.
Blague bête
Un pilote veut atterrir sur la piste.
La tour de contrôle lui dit:
“Bienvenu à l’aéroport de Perpignan. Donnez-moi votre position et votre hauteur”
Le pilote répond:
“Bonjour Perpignan. Je suis assis et je mesure 1,80m”
Vocabulary
- atterrir – to land
- la piste – runway
- La tour de contrôle – control tour
- votre hauteur – your height
- Je suis assis – I am sitting
FRANCE
PERPIGNAN
No flights to the UK or Ireland. This dynamic little airport is contantly improving its premises and services. Give it a chance in winter!
COME ON RYANAIR! LOADS OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS FABULOUS LITTLE AIRPORT AND PLENTY OF BRITISH AND IRISH WHO WOULD BE HAPPY TO PUT BUMS ON SEATS IN WINTER.
BEZIERS
No flights to the UK or Ireland.
CARCASSONNE
Ryanair remains the sole operator here, however services reduced significantly in winter with only Manchester and Stansted surviving.
| From | N° of weekly flights | Airline |
| MANCHESTER | 2 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 25 Mar |
| STANSTED | 2 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 25 Mar |
MONTPELLIER
British Airways have a Gatwick service which once again only operates in the summer months. I have used this twice but their system will not allow you to check-in on line from Montpellier, meaning that even if you only have hand baggage you have to queue for a boarding pass – crazy
| From | N° of weekly flights | Airline |
| GATWICK | 7 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 29 Mar |
NIMES
Ryanair is the sole operator for P-O readers, but nothing at all in the winter.
TOULOUSE / BLAGNAC
There tends to be more flights to Toulouse from UK regional airport in the winter due to skiing opportunities, with Andorra not too far away. This winter there are no Aer Lingus flights from Dublin, but they are due to restart on 30 March 2025.
| From | N° of weekly flights | Airline |
| BRISTOL | 4 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| GATWICK | 2 – 6 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 3 Nov |
| HEATHROW | 18 | BRITISH AWYS 27 Oct-29 Mar |
| STANSTED | 10 | RYANAIR 26 Oct -29 Mar |
| DUBLIN | 2 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 29 Mar |
SPAIN
Josep Tarradellas….
….is celebrated as one of the most significant politicians in modern Catalan history, and a firm supporter of Catalan independance. A well known figure during the troubled years of the Spanish Civil war, he returned from exile in France to become the first president of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government), after its re-establishment in 1977, two years after Franco’s death, the end of his dictatorship.
BARCELONA / Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.
As always a huge variety of flights to Barcelona, most of which run all year round, but with seasonal decreases. The airport is now named after Josep Tarradellas, a former Catalonian Governor. Ryanair have dropped Prestwick whilst Vueling have added Edinburgh. New service from Southend with EasyJet. Hungarian airline Wizz Air’s UK subsidiary will now operate Luton – Barcelona service, but it does not start until 29 March 2026.
| From | N° of weekly flights | Airline |
| BIRMINGHAM | 2 – 4 1 – 3 10 | EASYJET 27 Oct 27 Mar JET2 27 Oct – 26 Mar RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 Mar. |
| BRISTOL | 11 4 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 28 Mar RYANAIR 27 Oct – 27 Mar |
| EDINBURGH | 10 2 | RYANAIR 28 Oct – 28 Mar VUELING 30 Oct – 27 Mar |
| GATWICK | 28 48 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 28 Mar VUELING 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| GLASGOW INT’L | 2 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 26 Mar |
| HEATHROW | 53 13 | BRITISH AWYS 27 Oct–28 Mar VUELING 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| LEEDS BRADFORD | 2 2 | JET2 28 Oct – 24 Nov JET2 14 Feb – 27 Mar |
| LIVERPOOL | 2-3 2 | EASYJET 28 Oct – 27 Mar RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| LUTON | 11 3 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 29 Mar RYANAIR 27 Oct – 29 Mar |
| MANCHESTER | 4 2 – 5 13 9 | EASYJET 27 Oct – 27 Mar JET2 27 Oct – 27March RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 Mar VUELING 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| NEWCASTLE | 2 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| STANSTED | 31 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
| CORK | 2 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 March |
| DUBLIN | 11 23 7 | AER LINGUS 27 Oct – 28 Mar RYANAIR 27 Oct – 28 Mar VUELING 27 Oct – 28 Mar |
GIRONA
Ryanair services to Girona increased significantly during the summer, but once again come the winter they have disappeared, only Stansted remains. Rather strangely Jet2 flights operate only for a few days at the start of the winter schedules.
| From | N° of weekly flights | Airline |
| STANSTED | 3 – 4 | RYANAIR 27 Oct – 29 Mar |
**Please note that these are the average number of flights per week, and will be variable in the shoulder and peak seasons, that is why you will sometimes see a minimum and maximum number listed. If you think I have missed any, please contact me on info@anglophone-direct.com. Please do bear in mind airline schedules fluctuate.**
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AIRPORT NEWS TIP….
from Clive
In December last year we booked the ALSA bus from Perpignan which terminates at Barcelona airport .
It was very reasonably priced and was a good service. Today’s price (02/06/25) is 29€ per person. Bargain !
It stops at Barcelona Nord Bus Station and then goes onto the airport.
from Maria
We use Alsa bus from Perpignan bus station direct to Barcelona Terminal 1 leaving at about 10 am. There are other buses to Barcelona Nord, the main bus station from there it is relatively easy to get to the airport.
Please note that online booking is only available about 3 months beforehand
www.alsa.com/en/
Blague bête
A buzzard turns up at the airport with two dead animals.
The lady at check in says, “Sorry, only one carrion per passenger”
Vocabulaire
carrion – charogne
carry on – baggages à main
We use Alsa bus from Perpignan bus station direct to Barcelona Terminal 1 leaving at about 10 am. There are other buses to Barcelona Nord, the main bus station from there it is relatively easy to get to the airport.
Please note that online booking is only available about 3 months beforehand.