Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, today (28 Feb) called on Ben Gurion International Airport to reopen Terminal 1 to allow low fare air travel to resume to/from Tel Aviv. Ryanair, which resumed daily flights to Tel Aviv on 1^st Feb last, was forced by Ben Gurion International Airport to operate at the more expensive Terminal 3, which resulted in significantly higher costs and would have resulted in much higher air fares for Ryanair passengers travelling to/from Tel Aviv.

Ryanair requested Ben Gurion International Airport to apply its agreed Terminal 1 passenger charges to Ryanair flights on a temporary basis until they reopened Terminal 1, but Ben Gurion International Airport refused this request and insisted that Ryanair operate through the more expensive Terminal 3. As a result, Ryanair has suspended flights to/from Tel Aviv with effect from Tues, 27 Feb and these low fare flights will remain suspended until such time as Ben Gurion International Airport reopens its low-cost Terminal 1. Ryanair has written to Ben Gurion International Airport calling on them to confirm when Terminal 1 will reopen, which will allow Ryanair to resume selling low fare flights to and from Tel Aviv.

Ryanair DAC CEO, Eddie Wilson, said:

“We worked hard with the Israeli Govt and Ben Gurion International Airport to re-establish Ryanair’s low fare flights to/from Tel Aviv on 1^st Feb last. We were deeply disappointed by Ben Gurion International Airport’s refusal to reopen the low-cost Terminal 1 where Ryanair normally operates. We don’t mind if the airport forces us to put Ryanair flights through Terminal 3 on an interim basis because of the large decline in traffic to/from Tel Aviv, but this should be done on the agreed Terminal 1 prices, not Terminal 3 prices.

Ryanair wishes to support Ben Gurion International Airport and the recovery of air travel to/from Israel, but we cannot do so, or ask our passengers to pay higher air fares while Ben Gurion International Airport keep the low-cost Terminal 1 closed and force our flights into the high-cost Terminal 3, charging fees which were never agreed by Ryanair.

We call again on Ben Gurion International Airport to confirm a date when the lower cost Terminal 1 facility will be reopened, which will allow Ryanair to resume selling low fare flights to/from Tel Aviv which have done so much to grow air travel and tourism for Israel.”

GUARANTEEING NO OVERCHARGING FOR RYANAIR FLIGHTS/ ANCILLARIES

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (27 Feb) announced its 4^th OTA partnership with leading OTA, On the Beach, who will now be authorised to offer Ryanair flights, seats, and bags to their customers at Ryanair’s low prices as part of their holiday packages. This deal guarantees that On the Beach customers will not be overcharged for Ryanair flights and services and will have direct access to their myRyanair account.

This partnership also guarantees that Ryanair flight information will be provided directly to each customer’s email address, including pre-departure info on Ryanair T&Cs and info in the case of flight disruption. Under this new agreement, On the Beach agrees that it will only display Ryanair’s real prices, without mark-ups and will only pass all relevant customer contact and payment details to Ryanair. This means On the Beach customers will not need to complete Ryanair’s customer verification process which unauthorised OTA Pirates customers must continue to do.

This is great news for On the Beach customers who will now be able to book Ryanair’s low fares as part of their On the Beach package with full price transparency, while still benefiting from On the Beach’s flexible payment plans, customer perks (including free lounge and fast track), and ATOL protection.

Ryanair has long campaigned for all consumers to be protected from OTA Pirate scams, including overcharges, hidden mark-ups, and providing fake customer contact and payment info. As a verified partner of Ryanair, On the Beach customers can book their package holiday with a Ryanair flight with full price transparency safe in the knowledge that they will not be overcharged for their flights or ancillaries.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“Ryanair is pleased to announce our latest partnership with leading OTA, On the Beach. This new deal will see Ryanair partner with its fourth approved OTA partner – the second OTA we have partnered with this month.

On the Beach customers can now book Ryanair flights, seats, and bags as part of their holiday package with the guarantee that they will have full price transparency of Ryanair products (without any overcharges or hidden mark-ups), and that they will receive any information regarding their flight directly from Ryanair as well as having direct access to their booking through their myRyanair account.

Shaun Morton, CEO of On the Beach Group plc said:  

“We are excited to have entered into this transformational partnership with Ryanair. This will improve the booking and travel experience for our customers selecting Ryanair flights, while ensuring we can continue to provide customers with best value package holidays. We will continue our campaign to safeguard consumer choice in the travel sector and the signing of this agreement marks a significant milestone in On the Beach’s journey, as we strive to do the best for our customers. Importantly, this agreement enables both parties to move on from outstanding litigation and we look forward to working closely with our new partner.”

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline today (Feb 22), launched its S24 schedule for Kaunas with 3 new routes (28 total) to Berlin, Pisa and Zadar. As part of this S24 schedule, which will deliver over 1.2M passengers to/from Kaunas (+18% growth), Ryanair is pleased to announce it is basing 1 new B737 aircraft in Kaunas ($100m investment), creating 30 new high-paid jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers for the region.

Ryanair’s KaunasS24 schedule will deliver:

• 28 routes, 3 new to Berlin, Pisa and Zadar
• 1 new B737 aircraft at Kaunas (3 total – $300 m invest)
• Kaunas traffic grows +18% to over 1.2m pax p.a
• Supp. 1000 jobs, incl. high-paid pilot, cabin crew & engineer jobs

Ryanair is committed to further growth and investment in Kaunas, underpinned by its $300m investment in the region and creation of 250 high-paid engineer jobs, including aircraft mechanics and aircraft structural repair team. 

To celebrate S24 schedule for Kaunas, Ryanair has launched a 3-day seat sale today with fares from EUR 19.99 for travels until May’24 – only at ryanair.com.

Ryanair’s Alicja Wójcik-Gołębiowska, said:

“As Europe’s No.1 airline, Ryanair is pleased to announce our Kaunas S24 schedule with 3 new routes to Berlin, Pisa and Zadar. Ryanair continues to deliver more traffic, jobs and more low fares than any other airline. Ryanair has based 1 additional B737 aircraft (additional $100m invest.) in Kaunas this summer as we expect S24 traffic in Kaunas to grow by 18% to over 1.2m pax. Furthermore, our Kaunas Aircraft Maintenance Service (KAMS) is currently seeking candidates to fill 250 highly skilled positions, including aircraft mechanics and structural repair team.

Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports said:

“Ryanair’s further expansion at Kaunas Airport and daily flights to the main airports of Copenhagen and Stockholm, as well as a new route to Berlin in the summer schedule for 2024, are an exceptional opportunity for inbound tourism to the Kaunas region.”

Ryanair today (22 Feb) launched rescue fares from just £24.99 for UK passengers affected by Wizz Air’s sudden cancellation of its London – Dubrovnik route. This latest route cut follows Wizz Air’s sudden cancellation of over 80 routes across Europe in the past 6 weeks, including routes to/from Albania, Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, and Slovenia.

While Wizz Air continues to cut routes across Europe, Ryanair – Europe’s most reliable and low fare airline – is saving the day yet again, with rescue fares from just £24.99 on the airline’s 14x weekly flights between London and Dubrovnik available to book now at ryanair.com.

Ryanair’s Head of Comms, Jade Kirwan said:

“While Wizz Air continues to shrink, cutting both routes and aircraft across Europe, Ryanair – Europe’s most reliable and low fare airline – is saving the day yet again with rescue fares from just £24.99 available for Wizz Air passengers affected by this sudden London – Dubrovnik route cut. Ryanair’s low rescue fares are available to book now at ryanair.com.”

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, announced today (20 Feb) 6 new routes to Frankfurt, Faro, Milan, Skiathos, Trieste and Tirana, in a record S24 schedule for Hungary, with 66 routes in total.

Ryanair’s Hungary S24 schedule will deliver:

• 6 new routes (66 total)
• 2 new B737 based aircraft (10 total) – a $1 billion invest. in Budapest
• 5m passengers (22% growth)
• Supporting over 4,000 jobs, including 300 high paid Ryanair pilot and cabin crew jobs

Despite the damage caused by the Hungarian Govt’s bogus “enviro tax” and Wizz Air’s fleet and route cuts (incl. 5 cancelled routes), Ryanair remains committed to low fares growth in Hungary. Ryanair is launching its biggest ever summer schedule from Budapest, opening 6 new routes to Frankfurt, Faro, Milan, Skiathos, Trieste and Tirana, with 2 new based a/c (10 a/c total). Increased frequencies on 20 other routes including Alicante, Bari, and Rome are part of this expansion, allowing Ryanair to grow its traffic by 22% in 2024, carry 5m passengers and support over 4,000 jobs in Budapest.

Ryanair again calls on the Hungarian Govt to abolish its damaging “enviro tax”. Under the guise of “environmental protection”, this tax imposes higher fees on ordinary Hungarian citizens / visitors. Such unfair taxes undermine competition, harm traffic growth and limit choices for Hungarian citizens/visitors, by raising fares. While Hungary raises taxes, most other European states are cutting fees and taxes to recover pre-Covid traffic and attract more visitors. Hungarian citizens/visitors can now book a well-deserved summer break to any one of 66 exciting routes from Budapest including 6 new routes to Frankfurt, Faro, Milan, Skiathos, Trieste and Tirana.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“While Wizz reduces its based a/c and cuts routes (Castellón, Cologne, Edinburgh, Malmo, Stockholm) and traffic, Ryanair is investing and growing in Hungary. In 2024 Ryanair will once again overtake Wizz to become Hungary’s No1 airline. As Hungary’s No. 1 airline, we are pleased to launch our record S24 schedule in Budapest, with 6 new routes, Frankfurt, Trieste, Faro, Milan, Skiathos and Tirana, and 2 new a/c (10 total). These new a/c enable Ryanair to open 6 new routes and bring 22% more traffic at lower fares, as Ryanair strengthens its No.1 position in Hungary.

As Ryanair grows and invests in Budapest, we call on the Hungarian Government to scrap its stupid ‘enviro tax’. Instead of imposing unfair taxes on Hungarian citizens / visitors, the government should cut fees, scrap taxes and support airlines like Ryanair to grow traffic and jobs in Hungary while operating environmentally efficient fleets. We look forward to welcoming millions of Hungarian customers/visitors on board Ryanair’s low-fare flights to/from Budapest this summer.”

INCLUDING ALBANIA, FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, POLAND, & PORTUGAL ROUTES

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (16 Feb) launched rescue fares from just €24.99 for passengers affected by Wizz Air’s latest cancellation of even more routes to/from Albania, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

These latest cuts follow Wizz Air’s sudden cancellation of 21 routes to/from Hungary, Romania, Luxembourg, Serbia and Slovenia, and removal of 5 Poland-based aircraft and cancellation of 19 Polish routes in recent weeks, as the airline’s operation continues to shrink.

Ryanair’s Head of Comms, Jade Kirwan said:

“While Wizz Air continues to shrink, cutting both routes and aircraft across Europe, Ryanair – Europe’s most reliable and low fare airline – is saving the day yet again, offering rescue fares from just €24.99 for Wizz Air passengers affected by this latest round of sudden cancellations. Ryanair’s rescue fares are available to book now at ryanair.com.”

RYANAIR CALLS ON OSSIAN SMYTH TO CORRECT HIS FALSE STATEMENT ABOUT RYANAIR PRICING

Ryanair, No.1 airline, today (15 Feb) called on Green Minister, Ossian Smyth, to correct the absurd and false claims he made this week that Ryanair’s air fares to London and Paris were “more expensive” than competitor airlines. As with other Green Ministers (for Transport and for Tourism), it seems that Ossian Smyth can’t add, can’t subtract, and can’t find a Ryanair low fare flight either!

Ryanair today published a table of air fares for the dates quoted by this silly Green Minister (15^th, 16^th and 17^th Feb) which shows that Ryanair offers lower fares than Aer Lingus to both London and Paris on these 3 days. In fact, competitor air fares are in some cases more than double those of Ryanair.

Ryanair called on silly Green Minister Ossian Smyth to correct his false and inaccurate claims. Ryanair is forwarding a “Basic Maths for Dummies” book to Minister Smyth so he can improve his sums and are also sending him a €50 Ryanair travel voucher as he clearly needs a short break, since he appears to have lost touch with reality.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“Minster Ossian Smyth’s false claims this week show that he is just another Green Minister who can’t add, can’t subtract, and hasn’t a clue about air travel on/off the island of Ireland. It’s hard to believe that this Green Minister can’t find a cheaper Ryanair fare, when millions of Irish consumers can on a daily basis. He should snap up one of Ryanair’s low fares quickly while his colleague Transport Minister Eamon Ryan presides over a traffic cap at Dublin Airport, which means that Dublin cannot grow in 2024, and as demand increases, air fares under these silly Green Ministers will rise.

Ryanair had hoped to base more aircraft in Dublin, offering lower fares to Irish citizens/visitors, but failed Green Ministers – who cannot deliver their own Aviation Policy which is to grow traffic and tourism, means that Dublin capacity is capped, aircraft and growth are being lost to other EU airports, and air fares to/from Dublin are rising. If Minister Smyth is worried about higher air fares, perhaps he should talk to Green Minister Ryan and Green Minister Martin, and lift the Dublin Airport cap, which would allow Ryanair to grow traffic, lower fares, and grow tourism at Dublin Airport and for Ireland.

Ryanair strongly recommends the book “Basic Maths for Dummies” to Green Minister Smyth. We think his time would be better spent improving his addition and subtraction instead of making silly and false claims about Ryanair air fares or Ryanair’s growth in Ireland when everyone – except silly Green Ministers – knows that Ryanair offers the lowest fares on every route, every day, which is why this year Ryanair expects to grow from 184m to 200m passengers, but Eamon Ryan has ensured that none of this growth is being delivered in Ireland.”