Ryanair plans very cheap long-distance flights
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary plans launch of transatlantic no-frills airline with a fleet of 50 Airbus A350s or Boeing 787s. Around the turn of the decade this new no-frills long-haul airline is expected to serve five or six US cities from its 23 European bases and offering fares as low as $12. The new carrier will operate independently of Ryanair and buy a fleet of up to 50 Airbus A350s or Boeing 787s at a time when chief executive Michael O'Leary expects prices to dip following the current surge in orders. There has long been speculation that Ryanair will enter the long-haul market, but this is the first time O'Leary has outlined concrete plans. In an exclusive interview to be published in next week’s Flight International magazine, he says the recent Open Skies agreement, which allows airlines to operate transatlantic flights without individual national bilateral deals from 2008, has made it possible. This was seized 4 u at Flightglobal.com |