The flying billboard

Next time you board a Ryanair flight, you could be forgiven for thinking you were stepping into a giant advertising billboard.

The low-cost airline is giving companies the opportunity to advertise their wares on the outside of its new fleet of Boeing planes.

Clients will pay around £100,000 for the entire external surface of an aircraft and will then have free license to decorate the plane in order to advertise their product.

The plane will then bear the new advert for a two-year period, which can be renewed if both parties agree.

Ryanair has not confirmed whether advertising space will be offered inside the cabin and has stressed that any branding or designs will not interfere with the safe operation of its aircraft.

Last year, it became the first airline to sanction advertising on planes, securing deals with four companies - car rental firm Hertz, mobile phone giant Vodafone, car company Jaguar and alcohol brand Kilkenny – to advertise on the exterior of planes used on internal Irish flights.

However, the new announcement represents the first time that international flights have been branded. If it proves successful, it could pave the way for other airlines to use advertising as a way of adding colour to their planes, while at the same time raising additional income.

This could enable airlines to lower their fares, while continuing to offer passengers more flights and routes.

© Adfero Ltd