Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, today (7 May) launched a campaign at Brussels Zaventem Airport to encourage all EU citizens to turn out and vote in the EU elections on 6 – 9 June next. Ryanair pointed out that the enormous growth of low fare airline travel across the EU would not have been possible without the success of the EU single market and the deregulation of air travel, which freed EU citizens from the State-owned high fare flag carriers in the 1970s and 80s.

Ryanair has led this revolution in low fare air travel and together with other low-cost airlines, such as easyJet, Wizz, Jet2, and others. Air travel across Europe and tourism in the peripheral states of Europe have grown dramatically over the last 30 years thanks to the widespread availability of Ryanair’s fares.  Ryanair believes it is vital that EU citizens turn out and vote in the EU elections on 6 – 9 June and signal their strong support for the EU single market and for the continued growth and development of low fare air travel and tourism jobs in the regions of Europe.

Unveiling its campaign at Brussels Zaventem today, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, said:

“Low fare air travel has been one of the great successes of the EU single market. Brexit has shown, however, that these freedoms and gains can be lost so is imperative that all EU citizens, particularly Ryanair’s 200m passengers, turn out to vote in the EU elections on 6 – 9 June. We strongly encourage all EU citizens to vote in favour of those parties who support the deregulation of air travel and who support the growth of low fare air travel, the freedom of movement of EU citizens across Europe. We wish to see tourism and jobs across the regions of Europe grow and thrive over the next decade and Ryanair is investing heavily in new fuel-efficient aircraft to deliver this growth in air travel while reducing our fuel consumption and CO2 emissions on a per passenger basis.”