After a long selection process, easyJet announced this week the setting up of a base in Lisbon’s Portela airport, which will be in fact the British low-cost airline´s first base in Portugal. This represents an investment of approximately €300 million and expects to create 2000 jobs (direct and indirect) and an increase on the number of passengers by one million per year.The Portela airport was selected from a list of 57 European candidate cities competing to have the new easyJet base from which 3 to 6 planes will operate. According to the statement on easyJet website, Lisbon was selected because of its “market potential”. Remember that the Portuguese capital as recently scooped several awards establishing its status as one of Europe´s most appealing destinations. As the EasyJet Chief Executive Carolyn McCall said “As one of Europe’s most attractive capital cities, Lisbon already attracts 3.6 million tourists and four million business travellers a year. The increase in easyJet aircraft based in Lisbon will stimulate demand and contribute to visitor numbers by over one million passengers a year, with clear benefits to the Portuguese economy”.
