According to a press release issued on the company's website on 26 July "the three weekly services (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays) will commence on the 31st of October and will be operated with brand new Boeing 737 800 series aircraft taking on board up to 189 passengers!"
Ryanair expects to carry 40,000 passengers on this route In the first year of operations, and this will create some 40 new jobs in Pula.
Ryanair"s Sales and Marketing Executive for Central Europe, Tomasz Kulakowski, was quoted as saying in Pula last Wednesday that "Ryanair is delighted to announce the arrival of low fares in Croatia! This new Ryanair service from London-Stansted to Pula will provide a massive boost to tourism."
"Starting from 31st of October 2006 all people living in the region of Pula will be able to fly directly to the UK for a fare of just EUR 2.99," reads the press release.
Kulakowski said there were two reasons for selecting Pula as the first airport in Croatia: one is a possibility for performing flights within shifts of 25 minutes and the other is agreement concluded with the local airport authorities.
Istria County Prefect Ivan Jakovcic expressed the satisfaction with this decision of Ryanair.