INDUSTRY-LEADING ROUTE NETWORK, FREQUENCIES, AND FARES FOR CORPORATE TRAVEL

Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, today (6^th Mar) announced a new partnership agreement with corporate travel distributor, Kyte, which will enable Kyte’s network of corporate travel partners to access Ryanair’s industry leading low fares and network of over 3,600 daily flights (including key city connections) across 235+ destinations with regular morning and evening services ensuring efficient low-cost travel for businesses. 

This partnership will provide Ryanair with streamlined access to the travel ecosystem, including a vast array of corporate travel partners, without the need for legacy GDSs, while Kyte’s network of corporate travel partners benefit from Kyte’s advanced new technology solution, which effectively supports Ryanair’s content and functionality within their own web, mobile, and alternative portals for a seamless corporate customer experience.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“We are pleased to announce our exciting new partnership with Kyte, which will enable Kyte’s corporate travel partners to access Ryanair’s industry leading network of 3,600 daily flights across 235+ destinations, our regular schedules which cater perfectly for business travel, unrivalled on-time performance, and our budget-friendly low fares all through Kyte’s state-of-the art distribution technology.

We look forward to working further with Kyte over the coming years as Ryanair continues to grow to carry 300m passengers p.a. by 2034.”

Alice Ferrari, CEO & Co-founder KYTE added:

“As the airline industry transitions to API distribution this announcement demonstrates Ryanair’s progressive mindset around supporting new technologies. I’m extremely proud that Ryanair has chosen Kyte as their first official non-GDS distribution partner.

We are excited to be working with Ryanair in delivering easy access to the airline’s convenient low-cost travel to our corporate travel partners thanks to Kyte’s modern and standardised interface. Ryanair’s content via the Kyte channel will also be made available on our partner desktop solutions such as AirGateway.

This partnership demonstrates our commitment to helping airlines like Ryanair broaden their reach and open new and relevant revenue streams, on their terms.”

NOW EXPECT ONLY 40 OF 57 B737 DELIVERIES FOR PEAK S24

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Fri 1 Mar) confirmed that Boeing now expect to deliver just 40 of the 57 planned B737-MAX8200 aircraft that were due to be delivered to Ryanair before the end of June 2024. Ryanair’s current S24 schedule was based on receiving a minimum of 50 B737 aircraft, and Ryanair will now have to reduce approx. 10 aircraft lines of flying for the peak summer months of Jul, Aug and Sept. This will cause some minor schedule changes in the context of Ryanair’s 600 aircraft fleet and will reduce frequencies on existing routes rather than cutting new routes.

Ryanair has already implemented these schedule cuts at some of its higher cost airports, most notably Dublin, Milan Malpensa, Warsaw Modlin and 4 Portuguese airports where costs are rising faster than inflation in 2024. All affected passengers have already received schedule change notifications offering them alternative flight times or full refunds if they prefer.  

Ryanair regrets these further 10 Boeing delivery delays and expects that these further S24 schedule changes will reduce FY March 2025 traffic to just under 200m passengers compared to an original target of 205m. Ryanair will now work with Boeing to accept aircraft deliveries during the peak months of Jul, Aug and Sept 2024, but given these delivery uncertainties, it will be unable to put these aircraft on sale for peak S24.

Ryanair’s Group CEO Michael O’Leary said:  

“We are very disappointed at these latest Boeing delivery delays, but we continue to work with Boeing to maximise the number of new B737 aircraft we receive by the end of June, which we can confidently release for sale to customers during the S24 peak. We will now work with Boeing to take delayed aircraft deliveries during Aug and Sept 2024 to help Boeing reduce their delivery backlog.

We regret any inconvenience caused to some customers and our airport partners by these enforced S24 schedule changes, which will reduce our full year traffic growth from 184m in FY24 to between 198m to 200m in FY25. We are working with our airport partners to deliver some growth to them, albeit later in Sept and Oct (rather than Jul and Aug). This traffic growth can only be delivered at lower fares during these shoulder months.

Boeing continues to have Ryanair’s wholehearted support as they work through these temporary challenges, and we are confident that their senior management team, led by Dave Calhoun (CEO) and Brian West (CFO), will resolve these production delays and quality control issues in both Wichita and Seattle.

We expect these latest Boeing delivery delays, which regrettably are beyond Ryanair’s control, combined with the grounding of up to 20% of our Airbus competitors’ A320 fleets in Europe, will lead to more constrained capacity and slightly higher air fares for consumers in Europe in Summer 2024. We therefore urge all Ryanair customers to book early in order to secure the lowest available air fares for Summer 2024.”

4 NEW ROUTES & 12 BASED AIRCRAFT

Ryanair, Porto’s No.1 airline, today (29 Feb) announced its biggest-ever S24 schedule for Porto with 76 total routes, including 4 new. This record schedule will see Ryanair base 12 aircraft in Porto for Summer ’24 an investment of $1.2 billion, supporting over 360 high-paid jobs for pilots and cabin crew.

Ryanair’s PortoS24 schedule will deliver:

• 12 based a/c
• $1.2bn invest
• 4 new routes (Belfast, Ibiza, Pisa & Tangier)
• 76 total routes
• Traffic grows 5% to 3.8m pax in S24
• Supporting over 2,800 jobs, incl. over 360 pilot, cabin crew & engineer jobs in Ryanair

Ryanair is committed to future growth and investment in Porto. As a result, it is adding 5 new routes (76 in total) in the biggest-ever summer schedule, alongside 12 aircraft and $1.2 billion investment which supports over 2,800 aviation jobs. To celebrate its record Summer’24 schedule for Porto, Ryanair has launched a 3-day seat sale with fares from just €21.99 available from today for booking only at ryanair.com.

4 New S24 Routes

Belfast

Ibiza

Pisa

Tangier

Ryanair’s Country Manager for Portugal, Elena Cabrera, said

“As Porto’s no.1 airline, Ryanair is pleased to announce its biggest ever S24 schedule for Porto, with 4 new routes to Belfast, Ibiza, Pisa & Tangier offering Porto’s citizens/visitors even more choice for weekend city breaks and summer holidays at the lowest fares in Europe. Our $1.2bn investment in Porto and our 5% traffic growth highlights Ryanair’s commitment to Porto’s tourism growth and connectivity.”

To celebrate the launch of our record Summer’24 schedule for Porto, Ryanair is launching a 3-day seat sale with fares from just €21.99 available from today, only on www.Ryanair.com. We look forward to welcoming millions of Portuguese citizens/visitors onboard Ryanair’s low fare flights to/from Porto in 2024.”

RYANAIR PLAN TO GROW IRISH TRAFFIC 50% BY 2030 NOW BLOCKED BY ARTIFICIAL DUBLIN AIRPORT TRAFFIC CAP

Ryanair, Ireland’s favourite airline, today (Thurs 29 Feb) briefed the Irish media on its growth plans for Summer 2024. In Summer 2024, Ryanair expects to grow traffic at Ireland’s regional airports, Cork, Shannon & Knock, but sadly Dublin Airport is capped at 32m passengers and therefore cannot grow. Ryanair also criticised plans by the Government owned DAA monopoly who are exploiting this cap with plans to raise airport fees by 45% over the next 3 years to 2026.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary set out Ryanair’s ambitious growth plans for Summer 2024 in Europe. This summer, Ryanair expects to add 50 Boeing 737 aircraft, it will open more than 80 new routes, and it will grow traffic by over 16m passengers from 183.5m to over 200m. Sadly, all of this 16m passenger growth will bypass Dublin, and be delivered in high growth, low-cost European economies, including Spain, Italy, Poland, Morocco, Denmark and Albania, where Governments are lowering taxes and cutting airport charges to recover and/or grow their pre-Covid traffic volumes. However, in Ireland, where a 15-year-old planning restriction imposes an artificial 32m passenger cap at Dublin Airport, there is no room to grow, and the DAA is using this cap to increase airport fees by 45% over the next 3 years (2024 to 2026). It is inevitable given this mismanagement of Irish aviation and tourism that air fares to/from Dublin Airport will rise in S24, as the policy failure of Ireland’s 2 Green Ministers (for Transport and for Tourism) results in traffic caps and stagnation at Dublin Airport. This cap is indefensible when Dublin Airport has just spent €300m to open a 2^nd runway, which doubles Dublin’s capacity to over 60m passengers p.a.

Ryanair today called on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to take urgent action, even on an interim basis, to scrap the Dublin Airport traffic cap. If necessary, the current Govt. of which the Greens are a member, should pass emergency legislation lifting this traffic cap from 32m to 50m passengers p.a. Sadly, Eamon Ryan has shown he is not up to the job. He falsely claims he “cannot interfere” in the planning application of Dublin Airport (to lift this cap), but he has no difficulty interfering in the current planning application for the Dublin Metro, which he repeatedly predicts will be approved later this year.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“It is clear after 4 years of inaction from Transport Minister Eamon Ryan that he is either unwilling or unable to deliver his National Aviation Policy, which is to; (1) enhance Ireland’s connectivity, (2) foster growth of aviation in Ireland, and (3) to maximise the contribution of aviation to Ireland’s growth and development. After 4 years as Minister, Eamon Ryan has delivered zero growth, a traffic cap at Dublin Airport, and Ireland is losing aircraft, traffic, tourism and jobs to Italy, Spain and even Albania! Dublin is 1 of just 3 EU capital city airports this year with zero growth, and it joins the distinguished list of Slovakia and Serbia as capital city airports that have failed to grow in 2024. 

The Dublin Airport traffic cap of 32m is an artificial restriction which was imposed by the planning authorities in 2007 as a condition for the 2^nd terminal. It was designed to prevent surface access at Dublin Airport “collapsing”. It is clear 16 years later that there is no issue with road access at Dublin Airport, which is why Dublin Airport has now opened a 2^nd runway increasing capacity at Dublin to 60m passenger. While there is ample room to grow in Dublin’s terminals and runways, this growth is blocked by an artificial traffic cap and Eamon Ryan’s failure to act.

If Ireland had a capable Transport Minister committed to delivering our National Aviation Policy, then he/she would intervene to lift this cap while the planning matter is being dealt with, or better still, pass legislation to raise the traffic cap at Dublin Airport to 50m passengers. Dublin Airport is a national asset. It is our main gateway on and off the island of Ireland. Its growth cannot be left to a few County Councillors in Fingal or the usual planning numbys and loonies who will block or delay this cap for up to 4 years.

Ireland has a Green Transport Minister and a Green Tourism Minister. After 4 years of failure, these 2 Ministers have shown they are sadly not up to the job. If they don’t act now to abolish this traffic cap at Dublin Airport, then they should quit. The choice is simple. These 2 Green Ministers should either GROW OR GO.”

RYANAIR LAUNCHES £24.99 RESCUE FARES ON LONDON – NICE ROUTE

Ryanair today (29 Feb) launched rescue fares from just £24.99 for passengers affected by Wizz Air’s sudden closure of its London – Nice route for Summer ‘24. Ryanair operates daily London – Nice flights with low fares and high load factors.

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, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Ryanair’s Head of Comms, Jade Kirwan, said:

“Ryanair yet again saves the day following Wizz Air’s sudden and surprise closure of its London – Nice route for Summer ’24. We will be happy to welcome Wizz Air passengers on our London – Nice route at Ryanair’s rescue fares starting from just £24.99 for April and May travel. Ryanair is Europe’s most reliable and low fare airline and with daily London – Nice flights all we can say is “Au Revoir” Wizz Air. Passengers can book these £24.99 rescue fares on Ryanair’s London – Nice route for Summer ’24 travel on www.ryanair.com now.”

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.”