Ryanair will reopen a base in Copenhagen during the forthcoming winter season, eight years after closing its last base in the city following a disagreement with Danish unions.

The Irish airline plans to station two aircraft at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport (CPH) from December, becoming the ULCC’s second base in Denmark, alongside the two aircraft it has based in Billund. The carrier says the move will create up to 100 direct jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers.

Ryanair already serves CPH from 26 destinations across Europe at present, using aircraft based outside of Denmark. A total of 24 routes will be offered during the winter 2023-24 season, including flights to Dusseldorf Weeze, Germany; Faro, Portugal; Paris Beauvais; and Warsaw Modlin, Poland.

The airline expects the additional capacity being deployed to increase the number of passengers it carries to and from the airport to almost 3 million per year, compared with around 2.3 million currently.

However, despite the planned investment in Denmark’s largest gateway, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary has taken a swipe at the “high airport fees” being charged by CPH, claiming the airport “lags behind the rest of Europe” as a result.

“Ryanair looks forward to continued growth and investment in Denmark as soon as the Danish regulator makes a decision to lower airport fees at Copenhagen Airport,” he says. “Ryanair calls on the Danish regulator to lower CPH airport fees to enable all airlines to pass on these lower fees in the form of lower air fares and allow Copenhagen to recover its pre-COVID traffic and tourism.”

About 12.4 million passengers passed through CPH during the first six months of the year, a 31% year-on-year increase—but 14% lower than the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. The current structure for airline fees will remain in place until the end of 2023, and the airport hopes that a decision on the future charges from 2024 onward will be reached this year.

“Securing a solution will provide predictability on the business for both the airport and the airlines, as well as create a common platform for the cooperation on route development and operational efficiency,” CPH adds in a statement.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Copenhagen Airport COO Christian Poulsen will take over as acting CEO from Sept. 30 when Thomas Woldbye leaves the company to become CEO of London Heathrow Airport. Poulsen has been with CPH for the past 14 years.

Ryanair’s previous base at CPH closed in July 2015 following a disagreement with Danish unions. However, the carrier says the jobs being created by the new base will be under a collective labour agreement agreed with Danske Metal Union in Denmark, which already covers Ryanair pay and conditions at its Billund base.