Volotea plans more flights from Corvera Airport as airline eyes permanent base

The airline says a permanent base at the Region of Murcia Airport could allow it to expand from its current seven destinations to as many as 20 over the next few years

Volotea has big plans for Murcia Airport(Corvera Airport), and they could mean a lot more choice for passengers in the Region. Volotea is considering opening a permanent base there, which the airline says could eventually allow it to increase the number of destinations from the current seven to as many as 20.

It isn't going to happen overnight, though. The airline is looking at the next two to four years to build its presence in Murcia gradually.

For those already using the airport, there are signs that things are heading in the right direction. Volotea currently flies from Murcia to Oviedo, Barcelona, Bilbao, Lille, Marseille and Venice. From November, Algiers will be added to the network, giving passengers another direct international connection.

Barcelona is also proving particularly popular and will continue all year round. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they’ll bring back the former Madrid route, as passengers tend to choose the train or road for that journey, but Barcelona has been a very different story.

The airline carried almost 90,000 passengers from Murcia this summer, with an average occupancy of 92%. That represents a 15% increase in the number of seats offered compared with last year. And it seems there is plenty more room for growth.

Volotea is also looking at adding more destinations in northern Spain next summer. The airline says it is seeing more people travelling north during the summer, particularly to Asturias, the Basque Country, Cantabria and Galicia. France is also performing particularly well, and it is likely to be a bigger focus than Italy.

The potential Murcia base is where things get particularly interesting. A base would mean having one or two aircraft permanently stationed at the airport, along with the staff needed to operate them. That would change how the airline plans its routes because future growth can be built around those aircraft.

Murcia Airport could become an even more attractive option as Alicante Airport faces growing capacity pressures. With more passengers passing through Alicante, there could be an opportunity for Murcia to pick up some of the additional demand.

Volotea has carried more than 300,000 passengers from the Region since it began operating here in 2019, and says 95% of its passengers would recommend the airline.

So, while 20 destinations may still a long way off, there is certainly the possibility of a much bigger choice of direct flights from Murcia in the years ahead.

Image:C/C-Dylan Agbagni