On Tuesday, the Clermont-Ferrand airport - serving the mountainous French region of Auvergne - announced on Facebook it would be adding a route to London Stansted starting in 2025, to be operated by Irish budget airline Ryanair.
There will be two direct flights a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. Flights are set to begin on March 30th and they will run until October 22nd.
Clermont-Ferrand airport is small - in 2019 it welcomed over 400,000 passengers, but that dropped down to 100,000 in 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Franceinfo.
READ MORE: Are France's loss-making regional airports under threat?
It has since been regaining its strength - with 230,000 passengers in 2023. The airport currently operates flights to Fez in Morocco, as well as Ajaccio in Corsica, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and Porto in Portugal.
Why visit Clermont-Ferrand?
Clermont-Ferrand is truly a hidden gem, without some of the huge crowds you can get in other French cities.
It is located in the heart of the Auvergne region in central France, which is known for its beautiful dormant chain of volcanoes. And yes - you read that correctly, technically they are not yet considered extinct, despite the fact that they haven't erupted in thousands of years.
The area is a paradise for hikers, cyclists, campers and extreme sports enthusiasts, while sports fans can enjoy the performances of its top-flight rugby team.
The region is also celebrated for its cuisine, and it is responsible for producing a quarter of France’s AOP cheeses; the cows’ mountain flower diet is said to improve their flavour.
READ MORE: Ten reasons to visit France's Auvergne area
What about other flights to and from the UK in 2025?
The travel website, Business Traveller, recently confirmed the new flight schedule for the EasyJet route between Southampton and Paris Orly in 2025.
The travel website wrote EasyJet's plans to launch "twice-weekly flights for the summer season". These are expected to begin on March 31st, 2025, and the flights will run on Mondays and Fridays.
In December 2024, EasyJet announced it would run a new route to Bordeaux-Merignac airport from Birmingham. The airline is also slated to run a weekly flight from Newcastle to Lyon, as well as a twice weekly flight from Manchester to Rennes.
Meanwhile, British Airways announced plans for a new weekly flight between London Stansted and Bergerac Dordogne Périgord airport, which is 125km from Bordeaux (about an hour and a half driving distance from the city), which will begin on June 28th.
Wizz Air is also planning to run a flight, starting in April, between Paris-Orly and London Gatwick, but the schedule is still to be confirmed.
READ MORE: New flights to and from France in 2025
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