Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (12^th Feb) announced a new ground handling partnership with Skytanking Aviation Services, effective from April 2024. This partnership will see the leading aviation services provider support Ryanair’s growing operation with ground handling services across key airports, such as Eindhoven.

As Europe’s No.1 airline, operating over 3,600 daily flights carrying over 183.5m passengers p.a., Ryanair requires efficient and cost-effective ground handling services that support the airline’s industry leading on time performance.

Ryanair’s Deputy Director Ground Operations, Tom Kelly said:

“Ryanair is delighted to announce our new ground handling partnership with Skytanking. This initial 6-year deal will ensure that Ryanair can continue to deliver its industry-leading turnaround times, a vital part in keeping our fares low for our customers. We look forward to working with Skytanking and developing the partnership further in the years to come in the UK, the Netherlands and right across Europe”.

Skytanking Aviation Services General Manager – Ground Handling, Craig Denmark said:

“The entire Skytanking Aviation Services team is excited to grow our service portfolio with Ryanair. As we continue to diversify our services and expand our ground handling footprint, our focus is on delivering exactly what Ryanair and its customers require, and that is a safe, professional, and on-time operation. With this alignment, we are confident that this will be a successful partnership.”

Ryanair, Europe’s no.1 airline, has today (11 Feb) announced an extension to its maintenance agreement with Joramco, the MRO provider based in Jordan and the engineering arm of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd, which will see the airline undertake 10 lines of heavy maintenance for the next 10 years at their MRO facility in Amman, Jordan. Ryanair’s fleet will grow to over 800 aircraft by the end of the decade and this agreement will ensure that the airline has flexibility around where it places its aircraft for upcoming winter maintenance seasons. The announcement comes this week after Joramco successfully completed its 100^th C check for Ryanair.

Joramco’s 110,000sq metre facility will facilitate heavy maintenance of Ryanair’s aircraft as the airline grows its fleet to 800 aircraft, including the airline’s recent 300 Boeing 737 MAX-10 order, which will see the airline grow to carry over 300m passengers per year by 2034. These fuel-efficient new technology aircraft offer 21% more seats, burn 20% less fuel, and are 50% quieter.

Ryanair uses a mix of internal facilities and external suppliers to conduct its heavy maintenance. Ryanair continues to invest in its internal heavy maintenance facilities and this agreement will complement these facilities to ensure that maintenance requirements are more than met over the coming years.

Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, said:

“We are delighted to announce this extended agreement for 10 maintenance lines with Joramco for the next 10 years. Joramco have demonstrated excellent standards in their state-of-the-art facilities, and we are pleased to extend our partnership with them for 10 maintenance lines for the next 10 years as we grow our fleet to over 800 aircraft. The enduring strength of this relationship is demonstrated this week as Joramco successfully completes 100 Ryanair aircraftC checks.”

Commenting on this agreement, Joramco’s Chief Executive Officer Fraser Currie, added:

“Following the successful completion of Joramco’s 100^th C check for Ryanair, we are delighted to agree a further 10 years from 2024 for 10 maintenance lines. This agreement reflects our commitment to delivering safe and reliable maintenance services to Ryanair fleet, and this strategic move solidifies the partnership between Ryanair and Joramco and ensures efficient and timely C checks for Ryanair’s growing fleet.”

3 NEW ROUTES – TRAFFIC GROWS 22% TO 4.5M PAX

Ryanair, Malta’s No.1 airline, today (7 Feb) announced its biggest-ever S24 schedule for Malta with 3 new routes to Belfast, Norwich and Rome, 67 total routes, and increased frequencies on 20 other routes to/from Valletta.

Ryanair’s MaltaS24 schedule will deliver:

• 3 new routes (Belfast, Norwich & Rome (F))
• 67 total routes
• 1 new based a/c (7 total) 
• $700m invest
• Traffic grows 22% to 4.5m pax p.a.
• Supporting 4,000 local jobs, incl. over 550 pilot, cabin crew & engineer jobs in Ryanair

Ryanair is committed to further growth and investment in Malta, underpinned by its $700m investment in the island, with 7 based aircraft (including 3 B737 Gamechangers) which supports over 4,000 local jobs, which are so vital to Malta’s island economy, where tourism is the largest industry and employer.

To celebrate its 3 new routes (67 total) for S24, Ryanair has launched a 3-day seat sale with fares from just €24.99 available from today for booking only at ryanair.com.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“As Malta’s no.1 airline, Ryanair is pleased to announce its biggest ever S24 schedule for Malta, with 3 new routes to Belfast, Norwich, and Rome, offering Malta’s citizens/visitors even more choice for weekend city breaks and summer holidays at the lowest fares in Europe. These 3 new routes reflect Ryanair’s dedication to providing Malta with the best travel experience at the lowest cost. Our $700m investment in the island and our 22% traffic growth highlights Ryanair’s commitment to Malta’s tourism growth and connectivity.”

To celebrate the launch of our record Summer’24 schedule for Malta, Ryanair is launching a 3-day seat sale with fares from just €24.99 available from today, only on www.Ryanair.com. We look forward to welcoming millions of Maltese citizens/visitors onboard Ryanair’s low fare flights to/from Malta in 2024.”

Ryanair today (7 Feb) welcomed the EU General Court ruling that €3.4bn Covid-19 State aid granted by the Netherlands to Air France-KLM in 2020 was illegal. This is the second time that the EU General Court has ruled this aid package to be illegal, after the Commission failed to correct the errors made in its original decision when it essentially re-issued it in 2021, ignoring the Court’s first ruling in this case. Today’s decision is also the fourth time overall that the Court has ruled that Covid-19 State aid to the Air France-KLM Group was unlawful. Ryanair now calls on the European Commission to order the Netherlands to immediately recover this multi-billion euro illegal State aid package from Air France-KLM and impose adequate remedies to repair at least some of the damage to competition done by this massive State bailout.

Ryanair’s spokesperson said:

“One of the EU’s greatest achievements is the creation of a true single market for air transport. The European Commission’s approval of the Dutch State aid to Air France-KLM went against the fundamental principles of EU law, like the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of nationality. Today’s judgment confirms that the Commission must act as a guardian of the level playing field in air transport and cannot sign-off discriminatory State aid issued by national governments. The Court’s intervention is a triumph for fair competition and consumers across the EU. 

The EU Commission’s spineless approach to State aid since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis allowed Member States to write open-ended cheques to their inefficient zombie flag carriers in the name of faded national prestige.

During the Covid-19 pandemic over €40bn in discriminatory State subsidies was gifted to EU flag carriers. The EU General Court has already ruled in other cases concerning Covid-19 State aid that billions of euros in aid received by SAS, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and certain Italian airlines were unlawful.

The European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition has still not acted to force recovery of the unlawful aid, nor has it imposed any measures to remedy the damage to competition caused by the Swedish, Danish, German, French, and Italian governments favouring their local airlines over other EU airlines, in breach of EU law. Today’s judgment underlines the need for the European Commission to immediately act to recover these illegal State aid packages and order remedies to restore at least some of the damage done to competition.

Undistorted competition eliminates inefficiency and benefits consumers through low fares and choice. Unjustified subsidies, on the other hand, encourage ineffectiveness and will harm consumers for decades to come.”

RYANAIR LAUCHES €19.99 RESCUE FARES ON CUT WIZZ AIR ROUTES

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (6^th Feb) launched rescue fares from just €19.99 for passengers affected by Wizz Air’s latest cancellation of a further 21 routes to/from Hungary, Romania, Luxembourg, Serbia and Slovenia. This follows Wizz Air’s sudden removal of 5 Poland-based aircraft and cancellation of 19 Polish routes just last week.

Ryanair’s Head of Comms, Jade Kirwan said:

“Ryanair yet again saves the day as Wizz Air cuts its routes, with a further 21 routes to/from Hungary, Romania, Luxembourg, Serbia and Slovenia cut in addition to 19 Polish routes cut just last week. As Europe’s most reliable and low fare airline, we will be happy to welcome Wizz Air passengers on our regular flights, including from Niš to Vienna and from Skiathos to Bucharest, from just €19.99. Passengers can book these €19.99 rescue fares now at www.ryanair.com.”

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, has today (6^th Feb) announced that it has been awarded an ‘A-’ rating on climate protection from the CDP – an international non-profit that helps organisations to disclose their environmental impact.  

Through 2023, Ryanair progressed its ambitious decarbonisation plans. The airline continued to take delivery of new B737-8200 “Gamechangers” (4% more seats, 16% less CO2) while working with fuel partners to accelerate SAF supply across Europe. Following its order of 300 Boeing MAX-10 aircraft (21% more seats, 20% less CO2), it reset the Group’s environmental goals, targeting 50 grams of CO2 per pax/km by 2031. Ryanair continues funding aviation decarbonisation research through the Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre in Trinity College Dublin.                 

Ryanair’s Director of Sustainability, Thomas Fowler, said:

“We are delighted to be awarded an ‘A-’ rating by CDP. This rating reflects Ryanair’s industry leading CO2 emission intensity and our ambitious emission reduction strategy.”

Ryanair Holdings plc today (Fri, 2 Feb) released January 2024 traffic stats as follows:

Ryanair operated over 71,700 flights in Jan. Over 950 flights cancelled due to Israel/Gaza conflict.

*As previously guided, short-term reduction to L.F. due to removal of Ryanair flights from most OTA Pirate websites in early Dec.