Low cost flights war spreads to east Europe

The low-cost flights war front spread to the former Soviet bloc today as EasyJet and Bmibaby unveiled plans to go head-to head in the EU's 10 new member states.

EasyJet said it was launching a summer flights schedule to Hungary's Budapest International and Slovenia's Ljubljana International as the battle for customers in the cutthroat industry intensifies.

Bmibaby, the budget offshoot of the former British Midland, meanwhile said it would also begin offering services to Prague from London.

Bmibaby said its flights from Gatwick would take on EasyJet's successful Stansted-Prague service, currently the only-existing run into the old Eastern Europe among the lowfareoperators. EasyJet said the socalled EU accession countries offered a rich new opportunity for expansion.

"With 10 new member states joining the EU from 1 May, the market for low-cost airline services will expand dramatically," said chief executive Ray Webster. "We plan to be part of that expansion from the very first day."

However, EasyJet's arch rival Ryanair said it had no plans to move into the region. A spokesman for the airline, currently under the cosh of probes into illegal subsidies to fly to new European airports, said: "We have had a sweep through the accession countries and no, we have no plans."

While Budapest is already a well known tourist destination, Mr Webster today promoted the less vaunted delights of Slovenia as an "up-andcoming ski and summer holiday destination"-and praised the baroque old town of Ljubljana itself.

The growth of budget flights into the former Eastern bloc is not universally popular, with some local authorities blaming the flights for an influx of drunken British stag and hen parties.