Ryanair pays compensation for flight cancelled in 2007

© Boeing

A court in Dublin has awarded three passengers of Ryanair €6,000 (£5,300) in compensation for a flight that was cancelled two years ago.

The customers had booked the flight from London Stansted to Carcassonne, France, in September 2007, and when it was cancelled had sought redress from Ryanair. With none forthcoming, they contacted EUClaim (euclaim.co.uk), a Netherlands-based company that represents airline passengers.

Ryanair Doncaster to Spain flights to resume

Low cost carrier Ryanair will be reintroducing its Doncaster to Spain flights starting next summer. The news comes after Thomson and First Choice announced they were adding additional services from the airport.

The popular routes will be operated from Robin Hood Airport (website: www.robinhoodairport.com/) to Girona (Barcelona) and Alicante.

Ryanair axing its Basel routes

From December 2 2009 Ryanair will be closing all six of its routes to and from Basel, Switzerland’s third largest city, as a result of a dispute over the airport’s charges.

The Irish low-cost carrier has however reassured passengers that a full refund will be provided to those travellers due to travel to Basel on or after December 2.

Ryanair considers upping its boarding pass reissue fee

Passengers have long known how expensive it is to turn up for a Ryanair flight without having printed off  their boarding pass in advance. However, reports in the Irish newspaper, the Sunday Business Post, suggest that the airline is looking to increase the reissue charge to €100 (or £100) in a bid to lower its costs.

Michael O'Leary, the airline's CEO, said that the proposed higher charge - €60/£60 more than the present fee - is designed to deter passengers arriving at airports without first printing off their boarding cards.

Ryanair puts expansion plans on hold despite profits

Ryanair, the Irish low-cost carrier, has said it could abandon plans for rapid expansion over the coming years in favour of redistributing cash to shareholders.

The announcement follows news that talks with Boeing about the purchase of 200 aircraft have reached a stalemate, with neither side willing to budge on price.

It also comes as Ryanair unveils an 80 per cent rise in interim profits, helped along by the carrier's aggressive fare-cutting strategy as well as plummeting fuel costs.

Ryanair takes to the skies with new Agadir flights

Ryanair has launched a new service from London Stansted to the southern Moroccan city of Agadir.

Its inaugural flight took off today, with future services being operated every Wednesday and Saturday and costing as little as £33 one-way including all taxes.

The no-frills airline also recently celebrated the launch of two brand new services to the Canary Islands.

Ryanair hits back at BBC with free seat giveaway

Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary has come out with all guns blazing following yesterday's BBC Panorama programme about the Irish low-cost carrier.

Unveiling details of a 1.1 million seat giveaway – 100,000 for every "false or misleading claim" made by Panorama – the airline boss said the BBC had "no case, no facts and no clue".

Its broadcast, which featured an impromptu interview with Mr O'Leary in a Dublin car-park, effectively alleged that the carrier dupes customers with hidden charges.

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary 'could step down next year'

Michael O'Leary, the flamboyant CEO of Ryanair, could be preparing to stand down within a year, according to a report in business website CityAM.com.

The controversial airline boss has become a household name thanks to his unrelenting campaign of publicity stunts, gaudy photo-ops and foul-mouthed diatribes.

But there is speculation that his antics could finally be drawing to a close, with industry experts now predicting that his departure will come as soon as 2010.

Last of Ryanair check-in desks set for the chop

From this Thursday (October 1) onwards, all passengers flying with Ryanair will be required to check-in online at least four hours prior to their departure.

The mandatory service, which costs £5 each way, has been billed by the low-cost airline as a way of enhancing customer service and reducing queues at the airport.

But for many it is just the latest in a long line of stealth charges rolled out by Ryanair, which some accuse of flouting EU rules over ticket price transparency.

Ryanair issues reminder over new ID policy

People who have booked flights with Ryanair are being reminded about changes to the airline's ID policy which will come into effect on October 1.

The carrier will no longer accept driver's licences as valid ID on domestic UK flights, with passengers who lack proper travel documents being turned away.

Ryanair and SAS duke it out in Facebook spat

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has ignited a war of words with Ryanair after the Irish low-cost carrier jokingly offered SAS executives free seats on its flights.

A Ryanair spokesman made the tongue-in-cheek gesture last month, inviting senior bosses at the rival carrier to "experience how a successful airline operates".

But despite the offer being hastily rescinded, SAS Director of Communications Claus Sonberg rose to the challenge and promptly issued a scathing appraisal on Facebook.

Ryanair and easyJet back industry emissions pledge

Europe's two largest low-cost carriers have thrown their weight behind ambitious industry plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by half by 2050.

Ryanair and easyJet both came out in support of the strategy after it was unveiled yesterday in New York by British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh.

The no-frills sector has come in for heavy criticism from environmental groups, which accuse it of fostering a "binge-flying" culture that hastens climate change.

Ryanair to sell smokeless cigarettes

Ryanair is to introduce "smokeless" cigarettes on its flights. The cigarettes look like real cigarettes and contain nicotine so smokers can satisfy their cravings while in the air, but they do not need to be lit.

The Irish airline says the cigarettes contain no toxins or chemicals and are harmless for the user and for fellow passengers.

The Similar Smokeless Cigarettes will be available to passengers aged 18 years and older and will cost €6 for a pack of ten. They will be available on all flights.

Ryanair raked in £500 million in extras last year

Ryanair pocketed more than half a billion pounds in extra charges last year, according to a newly released breakdown of its financial accounts.

US research group IdeaWorks found that the low-cost carrier raked in a colossal £548 million after ramping up surcharges for extras such as hold luggage.

The airline's checked bag fees have risen sevenfold in just three years – up from £5 in 2006 to £35 as of next month – while other levies have also spiked.

Ryanair doubles baggage allowance, hikes fees

Ryanair has announced a series of changes to its baggage policy.

From October 1, the checked-in baggage allowance will be doubled, to 30kg. Passengers will be able to check-in two bags, each weighing up to 15kg. However, fees for checking-in baggage and excess baggage charges will rise.

To check-in the first piece of luggage will cost £15 online or £30 at the airport. The cost of checking in a second piece of luggage will be £35 if done online, or £70 at the airport.

Ryanair and easyJet 'to fill SkyEurope void'

Barely 24 hours have passed since SkyEurope crumbled, but the media has already shifted its focus onto potential beneficiaries from the bankruptcy.

Bloomberg reports that a "tussle for market share" is underway as leading no-frills airlines Ryanair and easyJet stake their claims for the freed-up capacity.

Prior to calling in the administrators SkyEurope operated 44 routes to 17 European countries, mostly via its hubs in Bratislava, Vienna and Prague.

Tory council pledges 'Ryanair style' government

A Conservative-run council has vowed to adopt Ryanair's no-frills business model by charging local taxpayers fees for premium services.

Barnet Council says it will allow residents to jump queues if they pay extra, modelling its approach on no-frills airlines that charge for priority boarding.

It says the move will help stave off tax hikes by reining in public spending, but critics have been quick to accuse the council of failing in its duties.

New Ryanair routes for Edinburgh Airport

Within days of announcing its pull-out from Manchester Airport, Ryanair has confirmed that it will launch eight new services at Edinburgh Airport this winter.

The airline will boost its seasonal timetable to 26 routes, opening up air links with Barcelona, Brussels, Gdansk, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Memmingen, Oslo and Tenerife.

Girl (9) charged for purse lost on Ryanair flight

Ryanair has hit the headlines for its surcharge policy once again, with a little girl being forced to pay €10 (£8.50) to have her lost purse returned to her.

Nine-year-old Emma Lally misplaced her purse, complete with pocket money, after taking it out to buy a present during a flight home to Dublin from Spain.

Despite her initial relief at learning that it had been found, Emma was left in tears after being told she must pay a €10 administrative fee to reclaim it.

Ryanair to axe flights from Manchester Airport

Ryanair is to cut nine out of the ten routes it flies from Manchester Airport following the airport's recent refusal to cut its costs.

The routes that will cease, from October 1, are: Barcelona (Girona), Bremen, Brussels (Charleroi), Cagliari, Dusseldorf (Weeze), Frankfurt (Hahn), Marseille, Milan (Bergamo) and Shannon.

However, flights to these destinations will be switched to East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and Liverpool airports.

Ryanair to open new base at Leeds Bradford

Within weeks of declaring that Ryanair is scaling back its presence in the UK and Ireland, airline boss Michael O'Leary has confirmed the opening of a brand new base.

The low-cost carrier will be launching a series of new flights from Leeds Bradford Airport in March 2010, adding 14 new routes to the 3 already on offer at the regional gateway.

People living in the Yorkshire region are certain to welcome the move, but it comes less than a month after Mr O'Leary pledged to re-locate aircraft away from Britain.

Ryanair 'more expensive than British Airways'

Ryanair is now more expensive on certain routes than full-service competitors such as British Airways, according to a report in The Sunday Times.

The paper identified ten routes for which the low-cost carrier charges more than BA – three of which were more expensive even before surcharges were added.

Passenger fury over Ryanair check-in debacle

Hundreds of people were left stranded at Stansted Airport on Saturday (August 1) after Ryanair opened just 11 check-in desks for 255 flights.

Question Time host David Dimbleby was among the 700 passengers who found themselves unable to reach the departure gate in time for their flight.

Some holidaymakers vented their anger at staff as queues snaked back through the terminal - at one point prompting armed police to urge for calm.

Ryanair axes 20% of Dublin flights this winter

Ryanair has said it will scale back its presence at Dublin Airport by 20 per cent this winter.

The low-cost carrier revealed that it plans to re-locate four aircraft away from the gateway during the season, cutting the total number of flights to fewer than 1,000.

Its drawdown follows an dramatic 40 per cent reduction at London Stansted and comes as the airline expands its bases in the Canary Islands (see related story).

Ryanair unveils 39 new routes to Canary Islands

Ryanair has added 39 routes to the Canary Islands in its winter 2009 schedule, opening up links from across Europe including several UK airports.

The low-cost carrier appears to be seeing good on its pledge to strengthen operations in countries where airport operator charges are kept to a minimum.

Ryanair tempers forecast but steps up price war

Ryanair has said it will continue slashing fares in the coming months, even as it predicts that full-year profits will be at "lower end" of its previous forecast.

The low-cost carrier followed up yesterday's announcement of record-high first-quarter profits with a much more depressing financial outlook for the year ahead.

In spite of the gloomy forecast, however, flamboyant Chief Executive Michael O'Leary is pledging to continue cutting airfares throughout the summer.

Ryanair to reduce Stansted Airport service

© BAA Stansted

Ryanair is to reduce significantly the number of flights it offers from Stansted Airport (STN) this winter.

The Irish low-cost airline will cut the number of aircraft based at the airport by 40 per cent while the number of flights will be cut by 30 per cent.

Ryanair adds flights at Oslo, but may cut at Glasgow

As airlines finalise their winter flights schedules, there is a bit of chopping and changing going on at Ryanair.

The Irish airline is to add 11 new routes to and from Oslo (Torp and Rygge airports). Cities gaining flights to Oslo include London (Stansted Airport), Alicante, Barcelona (Girona), Brussels (Charleroi), Bremen, Madrid and Milan (Bergamo).

Ryanair polls passengers: would you stand for a free flight?

Ryanair's recent idea to do away with conventional seats on aircraft and replace them with "vertical" seats, where passengers fly standing up secured by a lap belt, is gaining traction.

The Irish airline has now published a poll on its website asking users to vote whether they would stand on short flights if it meant travelling free of charge or paying 50 per cent less than a seated passenger.

Now Ryanair plans to do away with seats on aircraft

Following last week's announcement by Chinese carrier Spring Airlines that it is looking into operating flights with standing-room-only cabins, Michael O'Leary, the Ryanair CEO, has repitched his idea for passengers to fly standing up, secured by a seat belt.

Ryanair pledges to axe check-in luggage

People travelling with Ryanair will soon have to lug their suitcases through airport security, as the carrier has confirmed plans to scrap all check-in facilities.

The coach-style handling policy, which could be introduced as soon as next year, will see passengers haul their luggage right up to the tarmac beside the cargo hold.

Ryanair cuts flights from Dublin and Shannon

Ryanair has reduced the number of winter flights it operates from Dublin and Shannon airports, amid warnings that further cutbacks could be made.

The low-cost carrier will remove one plane from each of the two Irish bases during the season, axing 44 flights per week from Dublin and 36 at Shannon.

It blamed the decision on the government's continued support for Air Passenger Duty (APD), which according to Ryanair has dampened passenger demand.

Ryanair to shut down website for 10 hours

Essential maintenance work will close Ryanair's website for ten hours next week, making it impossible for passengers to check in online.

People due to travel on Thursday June 25 should print their boarding passes extra early, as the down-time will run from 7pm the previous evening to 5am in the morning.

Anyone with an early morning flight who fails to check in online by 6pm on Wednesday will be charged a £40 "boarding pass re-issue fee" at the airport.

Ryanair's toilet tax moves step closer to reality

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, appears to be making good on his promise to charge passengers for using onboard toilets.

The controversial boss has a longstanding reputation for levity, prompting many to question the seriousness with which he raised the subject in February.

But after announcing the carrier's first ever annual loss earlier this week, Mr O'Leary now says that £1 coin slots on airplane toilets will become a reality.

Ryanair makes check-in surcharge mandatory

Ryanair has announced that from May 20 it will charge passengers a £10 surcharge on return flights simply for printing out their electronic boarding pass.

The low-cost carrier is rolling out the mandatory fee at the same time as it abolishes airport check-in desks, which it had claimed were driving up its expenses.

Ryanair adds new Norway connection

Ryanair is to begin operating a brand new summer connection between Edinburgh Airport and the Norwegian city of Haugesund, the BBC reports.

The low-cost carrier will start the new service this July, boosting its overall number of links from the Scottish capital to 29 – up from seven a year ago.

Ryanair threatens to axe Dusseldorf route

Ryanair is threatening to pull one of its key German links from Manchester, citing concerns about plans to curb operating hours at Dusseldorf-Weeze Airport.

The low-cost carrier has stopped accepting bookings on the route, and says it may shut down the German base altogether if officials don't overturn their decision.

Ryanair mulls over new 'hefty' tax

Ryanair is mulling over the idea of a ‘fat tax’ after inviting its passengers to take part in an online poll that could decide what its next discretionary charge will be.

Making light of its reputation for levying fees, the airline has asked customers to vote on its next surcharge - with a cash prize on offer for the best idea.

Ryanair switches summer flights from Pau

Low-cost carrier Ryanair has confirmed that it will be diverting its flights from Pau, the capital of the Bearn region in France, to Lourdes for two weeks during the peak summer period.

The switch will take place between July 27 and August 9, and is intended to allow Pau Airport to upgrade its landing systems to cope with adverse weather conditions.

Ryanair confirms toilet charge

It seems the criticism received from key consumer groups (as reported by Cheapflights) has done little to deter Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, from going ahead with the on-board toilet charge of £1.

Ryanair unveils new Midland routes

Ryanair has announced plans to begin two new summer routes from East Midlands Airport to destinations in Spain.

The budget airline will begin to operate three-times-weekly services to Barcelona Reus and Palma from the regional airport in July, when it will also drop its current schedule to Paris Beauvais to accommodate the changes.

Ryanair unveils Bavarian service

Ryanair has announced that it will begin operating a service between London Stansted Airport and the Bavarian region of Germany from April 2009.

The budget airline will offer passengers the opportunity to travel to Memmingen Airport from the UK's third busiest airport, which is approximately 100 kilometres west of the city of Munich.

Ryanair cuts Dublin routes

Ryanair has announced that it will be cutting four schedules from Dublin Airport in July 2009.

The budget airline will cease operating flights to Basel, Doncaster, Oporto and Teesside from Ireland's busiest airport, in response to falling passenger demand and the government's decision to increase air traffic control charges by 12 per cent.

Ryanair calls for CAA dismissal

Ryanair has urged the government to consider sacking the UK's specialist aviation regulator, following the announcement of plans to modernise the supervision of British airports.

The budget airline has called for the dismissal of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for failing to ensure that passenger and airport users' best interests are at the centre of its decisions.

Ryanair returns to Newquay Airport

Ryanair has resumed services between Newquay Cornwall Airport and London Stansted Airport after a three month absence of flights on the route.

The budget airline relaunched daily services on the domestic schedule last week for the first time since the closure of the south-west based airport, which was forced to gain a Civil Aviation Authority licence late last year.

Cornwall County Council's Andrew Mitchell believes that this commencement demonstrates the "bright" future of the airport.

Ryanair plans to 'rescue tourism'

Ryanair has created a plan of action which it feels will do a lot to help the tourism industry in Ireland.

The airline presented its suggestions to the Tourism Renewal Group yesterday (March 5) in a meeting at Dublin Castle. Ryanair had "six specific measures" that it suggested could help to boost tourism by as much as 20 per cent by 2011 if they were put in place.

These included the removal of the ten euro travel tax, getting rid of the Dublin Airport Metro and closing the Aviation Regulator's office.

Removing Ryanair check-in desks could cut fares

Low-cost airline Ryanair could reduce fares for its passengers if it decided to get rid of check-in desks.

That is the opinion of the Air Transport Users Council (AUC), which has asserted that the carrier's decision to have online check-in will help to cut costs.

As such, this could well lead to a reduction in airfares "in the long-run", suggested James Fremantle, industry affairs manager from the AUC.

Ryanair welcomes 'tourist tax' suggestion

Irish airline Ryanair has voiced its support for the idea that certain airports in the country should not have to pay tourist tax.

In a statement, the carrier said that "small peripheral airports" should not have to pay the tax.

Additionally, Ryanair suggested that those Irish airports which have suffered as a result of poor passenger numbers in the last few months should not have to pay the tax either.

Ryanair ponders toilet fee

Ryanair is considering charging passengers £1 to use toilets on-board its flights. The dramatic cost-cutting exercise was suggested by the low-cost airline's chief executive earlier today (February 27), who insisted that it would not inconvenience travellers.

Michael O'Leary claimed that Ryanair was determined to make air travel more affordable and that this could lead to the budget carrier introducing coin slots on lavatory cubicle doors.

Ryanair to close check-ins

Ryanair has detailed plans to close all of its airport check-in desks by 2010 and instead encourage passengers to use its online services.

The budget airline hopes to reduce costs in a difficult financial climate by prioritising internet check-ins and introducing bag drops, where customers will be able to drop off their luggage.