Ryanair: major expansion at Barcelona Girona

Ryanair has announced that it will base five new aircraft at Barcelona Girona Airport. This will mean an additional 75 routes by 2012, increasing passenger numbers to about eight million per year.

The Irish carrier's new services would generate a visitor spend of €1.2 billion per annum to the Catalan region.

Michael Cawley, Deputy Chief Executive of Ryanair, said: "Ryanair started flying from Barcelona Girona, our first Spanish airport, in 2002 and the partnership has been a phenomenal success, bringing Europe's guaranteed lowest fares to millions of Catalans and providing the region with millions of visitors from all over Europe.

New route: Ryanair links Shannon to Berlin

Ryanair has announced the launch of a new service from Shannon to Berlin. Flights will operate twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday, and start on May 30,

Caroline Baldwin, of Ryanair, said: "This new connection to Germany’s exciting capital city is a great enhancement of our route network at Shannon. An ideal destination for both business and leisure breaks, Berlin has something for everyone.

"Ryanair will deliver over two million passengers through Shannon this year, generating a visitor spend of €350m (£274m) in the mid-west. Our recently increased London departures and our continued expansion to Europe are fundamental to the success of tourism in the Shannon region."

Ryanair launches domestic Germany and France flights

Ryanair is to start its first domestic flights in Germany and France, claiming it will save local people more than €26 million (£20 million) a year.

Starting in May, Ryanair will operate flights between Frankfurt and Berlin. In France, it will offer passengers a Marseille to Paris service.

Tickets go on sale at 10am tomorrow (Thursday, March 20) with the low-cost operator making 25,000 seats available on these routes starting at €10 (about £7), including taxes. The sale will end at midnight on Monday, March 24.

Ryanair calls on Aer Lingus to reduce fares

Low-cost carrier Ryanair has criticised fellow Irish airline Aer Lingus for the charges it imposes on its passengers.

Ryanair has said that it "welcomes" the airline's "confession" that it charges passengers twice as much as Ryanair to travel in Europe, claiming that its €91 (£70) European short haul fare rose by three per cent in the last year to €94 (£72).

Dublin-based Ryanair owns a 29 per cent stake in its smaller rival, following an unsuccessful takeover bid that was launched in September 2006 after the company was privatised.

Ryanair: one million free seats if horse triumphs

Budget airline Ryanair is offering to give away one million free seats to passengers if the company's horse wins at the Ryanair Chase tomorrow (March 13).

If Mossbank, the Ryanair horse, wins the race at Cheltenham the airline promises to release the free seats until midnight on Monday (March 17).

The free flights include the cost of taxes and other charges and are valid for travel in April between Monday and Thursday on selected routes. Details will be released on www.ryanair.com.

Ryanair faces new website criticism

Ryanair has faced criticism over its newly-launched online booking system, with both rival airline easyJet and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) questioning the changes made.

The website was upgraded earlier this week to allow the budget airline to comply with the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) demand that all fares be displayed on the site inclusive of taxes, fees and charges.

However, while Ryanair claims to have updated the site accordingly, easyJet spokesman Toby Nicol told The Irish Independent that his airline believed the fares were still being displayed online without mandatory charges.

Ryanair to launch 17 new routes from Edinburgh

Low-cost airline Ryanair has announced that it will begin flights from Edinburgh in September using two previously newly delivered aircraft to a number of new destinations.

The airline already operates services from the Scottish city to Dublin and Shannon and has previously announced the launch of routes to Alicante, Bremen, Frankfurt, Marseille and Pisa in April.

But today's (February 28) announcement means that services will now operate from Edinburgh to Dusseldorf (two flights weekly) from June.

Ryanair apologises for new website problems

Ryanair has issued an update on the situation relating to its newly re-launched website, after reports of problems since it was put back online on Monday (February 25).

The budget airline switched over its booking operations to a New Skies reservations system and admitted that there had been periods when access to the site was reduced.

Explaining the difficulties, the airline blamed glitches resulting from the changeover to a new system, citing issues arising from the large volume of passengers attempting to book flights on the site following the switch.

Ryanair site back up ahead of schedule

Ryanair has brought the booking section of its website back online ahead of schedule, after updates to the site were completed earlier than expected.

The budget airline's online booking option was originally expected to be unavailable until 11pm today (February 25), but is now fully functional, with a number of new facilities included.

Among these are improved speeds for the website during the booking process, in particular during busy periods, while features such as changes to flights, Priority Booking and items of checked baggage can now be booked online at discounted rates up to four hours before a flight's departure.

Ryanair criticises Irish potential strikers

Ryanair has criticised plans by Irish air traffic controllers to take industrial action next Thursday (February 28) in a dispute over working conditions.

The 24-hour stoppage was called after talks broke down between the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and trade union Impact.

However, Ryanair has claimed that the union's demands relating to overtime, staffing and pay for the air traffic controllers are unreasonable, while also attacking previous smaller scale strike action undertaken by the workers at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.

Ryanair offers 'closing down' sale

Book by midnight on February 21: In advance of shutting down the bookings section of its website for three days between 10pm on February 22 and 11pm on February 25, Ryanair has put 500,000 seats on sale for £5, including taxes, with other seats also discounted.

Travel is permitted between Monday and Thursday and on Saturday, from March 1 to April 30.

However, there is a blackout period between March 19 and March 26 on all routes and the offer is also not valid for flights on holidays, school breaks and during major sporting events.

Reus Barcelona named as new Ryanair base

Ryanair has announced the opening of its 26th base at Reus Barcelona, with new flights set to start later this year.

The airline already operates a number of flights from the airport, but by the autumn it will offer links to 12 destinations including domestic connections to Spanish airports as well as other European cities.

As part of a $140 million investment two new aircraft will be based at Reus Barcelona, with a service to Birmingham set to start in June, while in October new flights will include links to Palma, Paris and Santander.

Ryanair website set for three day booking shutdown

Ryanair has confirmed that its website will be unavailable for flight bookings for three days later this month.

The budget airline stated that its website booking engine would be offline between February 16 and 11.59pm on February 18, though flight details will still be available.

The downtime will allow the website to be updated in accordance with guidelines from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to display all fares inclusive of taxes and charges.

Spring launch of Ryanair's in-flight mobile phone service

Ryanair's plans to enable its passengers to use their mobile phones while in-flight look set to be launched in the spring.

The low-cost operator intends to fit out 25 aircraft with technology provided by OnAir during the April to June quarter. This technology will allow passengers to make calls charged at international roaming rates, with Ryanair receiving a cut of the profits made on the calls.

The launch of the service was set to take place last year but Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said regulatory approval was taking longer than expected to secure. The results of tests should be in by March, allowing Ryanair to operate aircraft with the service after this date.

Ryanair ordered to pay damages for Sarkozy ad

A French court has ruled that Ryanair should pay damages to French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his newly-wed wife, Carla Bruni, over a newspaper advertisement.

The court's decision means that the budget airline will have to pay €1 (75p) to Sarkozy, the amount he originally requested.

However, they will have to pay Bruni €60,000 (£45,000), considerably less than the €500,000 (£378,000) her lawyers had originally demanded.

Ryanair responds to Sarkozy legal action

Ryanair has responded to the serving of legal action from the French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his new wife Carla Bruni relating to a newspaper advertisement run by the budget airline.

Sarkozy and Bruni were pictured in the advert in a French newspaper, with the text "With Ryanair, all my family can come to my wedding", leading to a claim for damages of €1 (75p) from the politician and €500,000 (£374,000) from his spouse.

However, Ryanair has told the French courts that, while it apologies for the advert and will settle the president's financial claim, it will not do so for his wife.

Ryanair criticised for UK newspaper advertisement

Ryanair has been criticised by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over an advert it placed in several newspapers last summer.

The ASA reprimanded the budget airline for its use of an image showing a model dressed as a schoolgirl, along with the headline "Hottest back to school fares".

In a statement the regulator claimed that the promotion "appeared to link teenage girls with sexually provocative behaviour and was irresponsible and likely to cause serious or widespread offence."

However, Ryanair's head of communications Peter Sherrard slated the authority's comments, as well as its ruling that the advert should not be used again.

Ryanair advert 'unacceptable' to French president

Ryanair may face legal action over an advert featuring French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his girlfriend Carla Bruni.

The president's office has labelled the advert, which features a caption next to Ms Bruni reading 'With Ryanair, my whole family can come to my wedding', as "unacceptable".

Following its publication in a French newspaper, David Martinon, a spokesman for Mr Sarkozy, stated that the possibility of taking legal action against the budget airline was being considered.

Ryanair increases baggage and check-in charges

Ryanair has announced that it is increasing its checked-in baggage and airport check-in fees, with immediate effect from bookings made today (January 23).

The budget airline has raised its checked-in baggage charge from £5 to £6 per bag, while the airport check-in fee has increased by £1 to £3.

Justifying the decision, Ryanair's Peter Sherrard claimed that the move was part of the airline's attempts to encourage its passengers to take advantage of both their free online check-in service and their ten kilogram hand baggage allowance.

Ryanair boosts London to Shannon flights

Ryanair has responded to Aer Lingus's decision to end its service between London Heathrow and Shannon by increasing its flights from London to the Irish city.

Following yesterday's (January 13) final Aer Lingus flight from Shannon, Ryanair has increased its number of daily journeys from Shannon to its three London bases, at Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, to seven.

Fares on the London to Shannon routes are available from £5 one-way (including taxes), from the budget airline's website.

Bournemouth gains new routes after Ryanair expansion

Ryanair has announced that Bournemouth is to become its 24th European base as it looks to expand its network from the south coast airport.

The airline will base a Boeing 737 aircraft at Bournemouth International and start five new routes in April to Malaga, Murcia, Nantes, Palma and Wroclaw, complementing the existing seven Ryanair routes operating from the airport.

At the same time Ryanair has said it will increase capacity on its Bournemouth to Glasgow route to allow for day return traffic, putting it up against the Flybe route to Scotland that operates out of Southampton.

Ryanair celebrates two million Christmas passengers

© Boeing

Ryanair has announced it is set to carry two million passengers over the Christmas and New Year period, a record for the budget airline.

The figure represents a 20 per cent increase on last year's figure, leading the airline to claim that it will carry more international passengers than any other carrier over the festive period.

As well as celebrating the news, Peter Sherrard, Ryanair's head of communications, also called on passengers booked onto the airline's flights to ensure they arrive early at their departure point. "Passengers have made Ryanair the world's favourite airline this festive season because only we guarantee the lowest fares, the best punctuality and no fuel surcharges ever.

Ryanair announces 50 new routes for 2008

Ryanair has announced a huge expansion for 2008, which will see the creation of 50 new routes across Europe. These will include the following routes to and from the UK:

Birmingham to Barcelona (Girona), Marseille and Pisa
Durham Tees Valley to Alicante
Edinburgh to Alicante, Bremen, Frankfurt, Marseille and Pisa
Liverpool to Malaga and Nantes
London Stansted to Angouleme and Faro
Manchester to Barcelona (Girona), Bremen, Marseille and Milan
Newquay to Alicante and Barcelona (Girona)

The expansion will also see new routes across Europe to destinations not served by the airline before, including Angouleme, France, and Constanta, Romania.

Ryanair increases flights from Manchester

Irish budget airline Ryanair is to offer new services from Manchester to Milan, Marseille, Girona and Bremen in 2008.

Ryanair has said it intends to increase its presence at the north-west airport, initially operating a total of 12 flights per week, the Manchester Evening News reports. The airline also intends to add four more routes from Manchester by June, and a further four in time for summer 2009.

This is the latest expansion announced for Manchester Airport; easyJet recently unveiled its plan to create a new base at the hub. It intends to station five aircraft there by 2010 and fly to Tenerife, Cyprus, Malta and Crete.

Ryanair to begin new French routes from Dublin and Cork

No-frills airline Ryanair has announced several new routes to France from Dublin and Cork for the 2008 schedule.

From April next year, the airline will begin flying from Dublin to Brest, Rodez and Tours, increasing the number of French destinations on offer from the Irish capital to 11.

To mark the launch of these three services, Ryanair is offering 250,000 seats for €10 one-way (including taxes) across all of its 84 Dublin routes.

Ryanair to axe Stansted to Brussels route

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is to end its London Stansted to Brussels Charleroi route early next year.

The airline is expanding at Brussels, and will base a fifth Boeing 737 aircraft at the Belgian hub. It will also begin five new routes from Charleroi to Bergerac, Limoges, Perpignan, Porto and Zaragoza.

However, to make room for these, the established Stansted to Brussels link will come to an end on March 5.

Ryanair offers Christmas gift vouchers

Budget airline Ryanair is offering Christmas gift flight vouchers available to buy online.

They are available in denominations of between €25/£20 and €200/£200, and can be personalised with a special message. They can be used on any of the airline's 563 routes in 26 countries.

Vouchers bought on or before Monday, December 17 are guaranteed with postal delivery before Christmas. Alternatively, vouchers can be bought with email delivery up to Thursday, December 20, and they will still make it in time for Christmas.

Ryanair 'top for customer service and punctuality'

Ryanair has claimed it offers higher levels of customer service and punctuality than other European carriers.

The budget airline cited the Association of European Airlines' latest consumer report, which rated airlines including British Airways, easyJet and Lufthansa for aspects of customer service and punctuality. According to Ryanair, it offers a better level of punctuality than six of Europe's biggest airlines and fewer occurrences of missing luggage and flight cancellations.

Peter Sherrard, Ryanair's Head of Communications, claimed that the airline provides both low fares and high levels of customer satisfaction. "The high fare airlines can't match Ryanair's guaranteed low fares and as these statistics prove, they can't compete with our customer service either."

Ryanair reports record flight times on Glasgow to Belfast route

Low-cost airline Ryanair has achieved record times on the Glasgow to Belfast route, with flights completing the journey in less than 20 minutes.

The airline flies daily between Glasgow Prestwick and Belfast City airports, and tailwinds have allowed planes to travel faster on the route. On several occasions recently the airline has managed to beat the regular 45-minute flight duration by some way.

Ryanair welcomes court battle with Air France

Ryanair has hit back at claims made by Air France that it leaked information to the press regarding a complaint that it made about its rival to the European Commission.

Air France has suggested that Ryanair unfairly gave the media details about the claim, in which the low-cost airline accused the national flag carrier of increasing fares to compensate for fuel surcharges.

However, Ryanair has staunchly denied this and said that it was fully within its rights to issue a press release regarding the matter on October 11 and is now looking forward to debating the matter in court.

Ryanair launches Doncaster Sheffield to Alicante route

Ryanair has launched a new three-times weekly route between Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Alicante on Spain's popular Costa Blanca.

The airline estimates that 40,000 passengers will travel on the new route, adding to the 350,000 customers already carried by the Irish budget airline from the airport.

Ashley Casey of Ryanair pointed out Alicante's many attractions, including its "beaches stretching for kilometres, countless sightseeing attractions and a wealth of shops and boutiques with something to suit every shopper".

Ryanair reiterates accuracy of advertised seat costs

Responding to leaked news that the European Commission has carried out an investigation into flight price advertising, Ryanair has issued a statement declaring that it is confident the investigation will find that the airline's advertising is fair.

The investigation could force the closure of around 200 airline websites if their pricing is shown to contain irregularities (for example, the added costs of taxes ares not clearly stated within the fare). The results of the investigation are due to be published tomorrow (Wednesday November 14) but reports by Reuters suggest that they will show irregularities in more than 50 per cent of the websites investigated, though individual airlines will not be named.

The investigation follows from a Spanish consumer watchdog report a month ago which found fault with Ryanair, alongside other Spanish airlines.

Ryanair expands from Bristol and Shannon

Low-cost airline Ryanair has opened a new base at Bristol Airport, and launched several new routes from Shannon.

Today (November 7) the carrier began flying from Bristol to Budapest, Derry, Knock, Milan, Porto, Riga and Wroclaw. Tomorrow, flights will begin to Bratislava, Dinard, Poznan and Rzeszow, and on Saturday they will begin to Katowice.

On December 19 and 22, in time for the winter ski season, flights will start from Bristol to Salzburg and Turin.

Ryanair will increase charges for baggage handling and airport check-in

Ryanair has announced it will continue is policy of levying a charge for airport check-in and the carriage of hold baggage and will increase the current fees in place. In March this year the budget carrier began charging travellers to put suitcases in the hold, and a recent financial statement revealed that this policy has been lucrative.

Now, chief executive Michael O'Leary has confirmed that the check-in fee for those who do so at an airport desk, rather than online, will double from £2 to £4. At the current time passengers are charged £2 to check in at the airport, and £5 for the first bag to be put in the hold.

O'Leary told The Telegraph: "People complain we are charging for check-in, but people who use web check-in and only have carry-on luggage are getting even cheaper fares."

New Ryanair flights from Dublin and Shannon

Ryanair has announced a series of new flights from Ireland that will begin next spring.

In March the airline will begin flying from Shannon to Alicante, and from Dublin to Palma, Santander and Zadar (Croatia).

The new services will take the number of Ryanair routes from Dublin to 83, and from Shannon to 31, consolidating its position as Ireland's biggest airline.

Ryanair to launch three new Bristol to France routes

Low-cost airline Ryanair has launched three new routes between Bristol and France. Flights from the south-west airport to Bergerac (Dordogne), Beziers (Languedoc) and Pau (Atlantic Pyrenees) will all begin in May, and will all be three-times weekly connections.

In the coming year the airline aims to carry one million passengers from Bristol Airport.

Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's Chief Executive, said: "Our record advance bookings confirm that passengers in Bristol can't get enough of Ryanair's guaranteed lowest fares and in response, we are already adding three new routes to Bergerac, Beziers and Pau starting in May."

Two million passengers on Leeds Bradford-Dublin route

Ryanair has marked its two millionth passenger on its Leeds Bradford to Dublin service with a special ticket deal.

The low-cost operator recently hit the landmark figure and at the same time said it would offer tickets on its new service from Leeds Bradford to Shannon, set to launch in November, from just the cost of taxes and charges.

The lucky two millionth passenger on the Dublin flight was Sandra Fitzpatrick, who received a flight voucher for the route to Shannon from Ryanair.

Long Island on the cards for Ryanair

No-frills airline Ryanair could fly to MacArthur Airport in Long Island, New York, as it aims to introduce long-haul flights from Europe.

At the current time Ryanair's route network is limited to destinations in Europe and Morocco, but back in April chief executive Michael O'Leary said that a new airline could offer transatlantic flights from as little as £7.

He claimed the Open Skies air liberalisation agreement between the US and Europe could make this feasible.

Record ski bookings for Ryanair

Low-cost carrier Ryanair has sold a record number of seats as part of its Skis Fly Free promotion.

The airline announced yesterday (Wednesday, September 26) that it has taken more than 200,000 bookings as part of the offer, which runs until Sunday, September 30.

Destinations available to passengers include Grenoble, Friedrichshafen, Milan, Barcelona, Turin and Salzburg. Travellers who wish to do so will be able to bring one item of ski equipment such as a snowboard or a set of skis for free.

Ryanair considers Shannon to Amsterdam route

Ryanair is in negotiations with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to see if a low-cost route from Shannon is viable.

A Shannon to Schiphol link would be invaluable to local businesspeople as it would mean a replacement of sorts for the Aer Lingus link from Shannon to Heathrow, which is due to be scrapped (see related Cheapflights story).

Ryanair also said it would increase its flights from Shannon to Gatwick and Stansted, which will help those wishing to travel to London. However, losing the link to Heathrow means losing connections to destinations all over the world, damaging local businesses.

Ryanair predicts that fares will get 'even cheaper'

A spokesman for Ryanair, which is known for its remarkably cheap fares, has predicted that air tickets will get even cheaper.

Speaking at the annual World Low-Cost Airlines Congress, the Irish carrier's chief operating officer, Michael Cawley, said: "Our average fares are set to drop between five and ten per cent this year."

He added that prices would probably go on falling into 2008, too: "I'm not making a prediction for the market, but I'd bet it's going to drop five per cent next year."

Ryanair to begin new Cork flights

Budget carrier Ryanair has announced two new routes from Cork that will begin in December.

Daily flights to Glasgow and East Midlands will start on December 13, bringing the number of destinations offered by Ryanair from Cork to six.

The airline predicts that more than one million passengers will be carried on flights from Cork over the course of next year, with the routes generating a visitor spend of €150 million (£105 million).

Ryanair looks to develop Milan Malpensa as European hub

Ryanair is ready to invest up to £420 million in Milan's Malpensa Airport as it looks to develop a new primary European hub.

Executives from the Irish low-cost airline are meeting with those from Italian airport operator SEA today to discuss the plans, whereby Ryanair would invest in 12 aircraft based at Malpensa and launch 50 new international routes. These new planes will be introduced between 2008 and 2012 if SEA offers suitable operating conditions and the deal goes ahead.

The news comes following Italian national airline Alitalia's announcement that it would move a significant number of flights away from Malpensa as it returns to Rome as its main hub.

Ryanair’s plans for massive Milanese expansion

Ryanair has outlined plans to launch 80 new routes from the northern Italian city of Milan, in answer to cut backs announced by the country's flag carrier Alitalia.

The budget airline has said it wants to base 12 aircraft at Milan's Malpensa airport and another six at Serio airport in Bergamo, with the promise of new routes to many destinations.

Ryanair appeals EU prohibition of Aer Lingus takeover

Irish budget airline Ryanair has submitted an appeal against the EU's decision to prohibit its proposed takeover of Aer Lingus, a move it claims was "unlawful and politically motivated".

Ryanair claims the European Commission blocked the bid following pressure from the Irish government and Aer Lingus itself, although the EC said a merger would mean the combined airline would dominate European routes out of Dublin Airport.

A takeover would have "immediately reduced Aer Lingus fares and eliminated Aer Lingus' unfair fuel surcharges, saving consumers over €100 million per annum", Ryanair said in a statement.

Liverpool to Valencia route from Ryanair

Ryanair has announced the launch of a new service between Liverpool and Valencia, linking the two cities for the first time.

From October 31 the airline will offer four flights a week to the Spanish city making it Ryanair's 11th destination to Spain from Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and bringing to 39 the number of flights it offers from the airport.

Neil Pakey, managing director at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, said "We're delighted to hear Ryanair is linking Liverpool with yet another Spanish city. Valencia will no doubt prove extremely popular outbound as well as attracting inbound tourism as Liverpool approaches its Capital of Culture status in 2008."

Ryanair launches new base at Belfast City Airport

Low-cost carrier Ryanair is to establish a base at Belfast City Airport and begin flying to London Stansted.

On October 30, the airline will base a Boeing 737-800 at the airport (also known as George Best Belfast City Airport), and start four-times daily flights to Stansted, as well as daily flights to East Midlands and Glasgow, and a second daily service to Liverpool.

"We are delighted to announce Belfast City Airport as our 23rd European base," said airline chief executive Michael O'Leary.

Ryanair announces new ski routes

Book by Thursday, September 6: Ryanair has today (Thursday, August 30) announced three new ski routes.

The flights are £10 all-in, including taxes and charges, and are from Liverpool to Friedrichshafen (Germany), Stockholm to Grenoble and Bournemouth to Milan Bergamo.

The travel period is from October 1 to February 7, 2008. A blackout period is in operation on routes to or from the UK and Ireland from October 19 to December 18 and on all routes from December 18 to January 8, 2008.

Ryanair, Hostelworld.com sign five-year deal

Ryanair has agreed an exclusive five-year contract with Hostelworld.com, which will see the online reservations company provide accommodation deals for travellers via Ryanair's website.

The low-cost carrier announced the new agreement yesterday (Tuesday, August 28). Ryanair passengers will now be able to choose from more than 13,000 hostels, B&B (bed and breakfast) and guesthouses worldwide and more than 5,500 across Europe.

Reservations need to be secured with a 10 per cent deposit via www.ryanair.com, with the balance paid when travellers check-in at their chosen accommodation. Beds are available from just €5 (£3.40) a night.

Ryanair and Brussels Charleroi reach agreement

Ryanair has reached an agreement with Brussels Charleroi Airport. The Irish airline has released flights for sale from November, after suspending them over fears of wildcat strikes grounding aircraft.

The airline welcomed a pact between the Belgian government and unions which guarantee that any strikes will be accompanied by a minimum of 48 hours’ notice in order to allow passengers to make alternative arrangements.

Seats for travel after November 12 can now be booked, and Ryanair has said they will work closely with Brussels Charleroi Airport to develop new routes.

Ryanair passengers face check-in charge

Ryanair has announced it is to start charging passengers for using its airport check-in services, on top of the fee it already charges to place bags in the hold.

The airline says it is keen to see passengers use its online check-in service, which will be free for those people travelling with hand luggage, but for those who use its airport desks there will be a fee of £2 (€3).

Ryanair’s Peter Sherrard said: "Ryanair’s web check in and priority boarding service has proven very popular among passengers by freeing them from check-in queues and departure gate queues. However clearly charging for this service has acted as a disincentive.

Ryanair suspends Belgium flights

Irish low-coster Ryanair has suspended the sale of tickets on flights to and from Brussels Charleroi from November, calling for a guarantee that there will be no more wildcat strikes.

In June security staff at the Belgian airport carried out a strike, forcing the airline to cancel a slew of flights. Although the airport has promised that the dispute will be resolved, Ryanair has suspended bookings to and from Charleroi from November 12 as a contingency measure.

"Ryanair is determined to ensure that its flights and passengers at Charleroi will not be cancelled again and so there must be an effective contingency plan in place to keep this international airport open and operational even if some staff wish to engage in wildcat strikes in the future," a spokesman for the carrier said.

Ryanair launches one-stop finance shop

Ryanair has launched a series of financial services as it looks to increase its secondary revenue streams.

A one-stop finance shop has been established at www.ryanairmoney.com, promising low-cost travel insurance, home insurance and life assurance, a commission-free foreign currency exchange, Visa pre-paid vouchers and Ryanair credit cards.

The airline's travel insurance costs from £5.50 (€5 in Ireland) for a single trip, or £39 (€54) for a yearly multi-trip policy.

Ryanair calls for cheaper travel insurance for 'more reliable' airlines

Ryanair is calling for cheaper travel insurance for passengers travelling with airlines that lose fewer bags.

The low-fares airline has written to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), claiming that risk-assessed travel insurance ought to be introduced "based on airline performance".

It points out that its own lost baggage figures declined by 0.5 bags per 1,000 last year to 0.4 this year, while British Airways has seen its own figure rise from 21 to 28 bags per 1,000 over the same period.

Ryanair plans Liverpool to Madrid route

Low-cost airline Ryanair is set to begin a new route from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to the Spanish capital Madrid.

The airline will begin three-times daily flights on October 30, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Other new routes included in the latest expansion at Madrid will be services to Gerona, Santander, Frankfurt Hahn, Cagliari and Alghero, as Ryanair continues to grow in Europe.

Major Dublin expansion from Ryanair

Ryanair is to launch six new European routes from Dublin in the autumn, as it increases the number of aircraft based at the Irish capital's airport.

The no-frills airline will invest $140 million in two new Boeing 737-800 planes, which will help to carry an extra one million passengers per year.

From October, a daily flight to Budapest, a three-times weekly flight to Basel (Switzerland), and a twice weekly flight to Szczecin (Poland) will begin.

Ryanair promises extra Shannon to London flights

Ryanair has promised to provide three extra daily flights from Shannon Airport to London if Aer Lingus goes ahead with its plan to stop operating its Shannon-Heathrow route.

Aer Lingus announced its plan to scrap the service earlier this month, preferring to allocate its Heathrow slots to new Belfast services (as reported by Cheapflights). A poll by the Irish Examiner newspaper has found that almost 90 per cent of the public oppose the move.

Now Ryanair has said that, if the decision is not reversed, it will step in with a fourth daily flight to Stansted (departing at 10.35am, arriving at 12pm), a second daily flight to Gatwick (departing at 7.50pm, arriving at 9.15pm), and a daily flight to Luton (departing at 12.25pm, arriving at 1.40pm).

Ryanair to put on extra Rugby World Cup flights

Low-cost airline Ryanair is to put on extra flights from England and Ireland to Paris for the Rugby World Cup in September and October.

Firstly, for England's match against South Africa, three extra return flights will operate. On Friday, September 14, two extra services will fly from London Stansted to Paris Beauvais (departing at 6.25am and 6.30am, arriving at 8.40am and 8.45am), together with one flight from Gatwick to Paris Beauvais (departs 10am, arrives 12.15pm).

On the way back, on September 15, the following flights will operate: Paris Beauvais to Stansted (departing 2.50pm and 5.05pm, arriving 3.05pm and 5.25pm), and Paris Beauvais to Gatwick (departing 7.15pm, arriving 8.35pm).

Two new Spanish bases for Ryanair

Low-cost operator Ryanair is to expand its operations in Spain later this year as it opens two new bases from the Mediterranean country.

The airline is to open its 21st base in November with Alicante set to be home to 11 new routes and two Boeing aircraft, an investment totalling $140 million (£70 million).

Among the new routes will be the launch of flights to Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield in November, as well as services to Bournemouth and East Midlands Airport set to start in December.

Ryanair to decrease Stansted service this winter

Low-cost airline Ryanair has announced that it will reduce the number of aircraft it operates from Stansted Airport this winter from 40 to 33, as it protests higher charges brought in by airport operator BAA.

In a statement to announce the carrier's record first quarter profits, chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "We continue to press for the break-up of the BAA airport monopoly which provides abject facilities, a third rate service and charges extortionate prices, particularly at Stansted.

"This winter we will sit seven of our 40 Stansted-based aircraft on the ground because Stansted's higher airport charges make it more profitable to ground these aircraft during the winter rather than fly them."

Ryanair unveils record profits

Budget airline Ryanair has announced record profits for the first quarter of the year, as well as an increase in passenger traffic.

Profits over the three-month period (to June 30) came in at €139 million, 20 per cent higher than last year and far more than analysts had expected. The airline also doubled its forecast for full-year earnings growth, leading to the biggest gain in Ryanair stock for two and a half years.

Traffic increased by 18 per cent to 12.6 million passengers, up from 10.7 million at the same time in 2006.

New routes added to Ryanair winter schedule

Ryanair has announced the launch of 13 new routes from four UK airports and is to offer flights for the first time from Belfast City Airport (as previously reported by Cheapflights).

The low cost airline is to begin flights from Belfast to Liverpool, Glasgow and East Midlands airports, with each route being served by a daily service when they launch on October 30.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport will be home to eight new routes with links to Budapest, the Polish cities of Bydgoszcz and Lodz, as well as Grenoble, Salzburg, Fuerteventura and Tenerife joining the service to Belfast.

Ryanair flights to Tenerife swap airports

Ryanair is to stop flying to Tenerife North Airport later this year, and instead operate out of the island’s south airport.

The Travel Mole website reports that the airline will end flights to the north airport on October 14 with flights using the island's south airport from October 18.

The flights affected will be those from Dublin, Shannon and Girona (Barcelona) with the reason for the move being demand from passengers to use Tenerife's larger airport.

Ryanair cuts routes to make way for Europe expansion

Ryanair has cut a number of routes and trimmed back several more in order to make way for a new round of expansion in Europe.

The following UK/Ireland routes will close in the autumn: London Stansted to Esjberg (October 28), London Stansted to Malmo (October 31), Dublin to Vasteras (October 28), Dublin to Malmo (November 4), Liverpool to Inverness (November 2), Liverpool to Aberdeen (November 2), and Liverpool to Kaunas (November 8).

As well as this, the following routes will be downgraded from year-round to seasonal operations, beginning in November: Dublin to Grenoble, Hamburg, Porto, and Biarritz; and Stansted to Poitiers and Genoa. The Dublin to Grenoble route will run between December and October; the others will run between March and October.

Ryanair hits back at ASA over environmental statements

Ryanair has criticised the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for trying to cover up Gordon Brown's air passenger duty (APD) "tax scam" and preventing it making certain statements in its advertising.

The ASA upheld complaints against Ryanair ads that claimed Brown had "fleeced" holidaymakers by doubling APD in February.

One of them read: "Not a penny spent on the environment, aviation accounts for just 2 per cent of CO2 emissions and yet he pulled it off - unbelievable."

Ryanair may have to move Italy flights

Ryanair faces the prospect of moving its service to Rome from Ciampino Airport to a neighbouring one after Italian officials said the airport was handling too many flights.

Italy's transport minister, Alessandro Bianchi, is quoted on business website Forbes as saying that Ciampino Airport was currently serving 138 flights a day, but that from this coming winter that number would be cut to 100.

Ryanair: 18 per cent passenger growth in June

Low-cost airline Ryanair recorded an 18 per cent increase in passenger numbers during June, compared to the year before.

Illustrating the popularity of budget flights, the airline carried 4.3 million passengers last month, up from 3.7 million in June 2006. In the 12 months to the end of June, it carried 44.4 million passengers.

Ryanair extends price guarantee

Ryanair has extended its “double the difference” price guarantee until September 30.

Introduced several weeks ago, the guarantee means that passengers who find a cheaper return fare on the same route with another airline can receive double the difference between the two.

In order to make a claim, passengers must book a flight on www.ryanair.com and then complete and return a form to priceguarantee@ryanair.com within an hour, along with a screen print of the competitor fare.

Ryanair: blocked Aer Lingus bid will cost passengers

Ryanair's bid to acquire Irish national airline Aer Lingus has been blocked by the European Commission.

The EC decided that a merger would create a monopoly of sorts because the two airlines operate from the same home airport (Dublin) and share 35 routes.

Before the expected "no" decision, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary had claimed that a ban on the merger would deny air passengers millions of cheap flights.

Ryanair to start flying from Belfast City Airport

Ryanair will soon begin flying from George Best Belfast City Airport, The Belfast Telegraph reports.

The newspaper reports that officials from the airline met with managers from the airport to hammer out an agreement last week.

Ryanair plans to build up a network of routes from Belfast City that could include Liverpool, East Midlands and Bristol in the UK, as well as Paris, Barcelona, Riga, Brussels, Rome and a major Polish city (either Katowice or Warsaw) in mainland Europe.

Ryanair improves customer service

Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, has improved its on-time performance over the last 12 months.

The carrier's May 2007 customer service statistics showed that 90 per cent of its flights were on-time, up from 87 per cent in May last year.

According to Ryanair, rival airline easyJet is not so punctual, with the former outperforming the latter in every week since 2003.

Ryanair considers restarting Belfast to Shannon route

Ryanair is considering operating flights between Shannon and Belfast.

Speaking last week with County Clare's mayor, Councillor Flan Garvey, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said he had requested a feasibility study be carried out into the route.

Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus used to operate Belfast to Shannon flights as part of its Belfast to New York service, but the leg was dropped in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

June 15: Strike forces Ryanair to cancel flights to Charleroi

Ryanair has been forced to cancel today's (June 15) flights to and from Charleroi Airport in Belgium because of a strike.

The following flights have been cancelled:

Ryanair to begin Liverpool to Stockholm service

No-frills airline Ryanair has announced a new route due to begin in October: Liverpool to Stockholm.

As part of a major expansion at Stockholm Skavsta (Stockholm's second-largest airport), the carrier will begin a four-times weekly service from Liverpool.

To mark the occasion, Ryanair is also offering 100,000 seats from Stockholm for 220 SEK (£16 - just the cost of the taxes), and has guaranteed that if passengers can find a lower fare on the same route it will refund double the difference.

Ryanair: World's most popular airline for international passengers

Ryanair carried more international passengers than any other airline last year, according to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The budget airline carried 40 million passengers over the course of 2006, ahead of Lufthansa (38 million), Air France (30 million) and British Airways (29 million).

Ryanair's seemingly unstoppable rise has been driven by low fares and its route network continues to grow. New destinations added so far in 2007 include Dalmatia and Pula in Croatia, Warsaw and Katowice in Poland and Maribor in Slovenia.

Ryanair to introduce seatback advertising

Low-cost airline Ryanair is to introduce seatback advertising in a new deal with digital entertainment firm Creative.

The scheme will initially involve five aircraft, which will be kitted out with backrest tray-tables complete with panels for advertising.

Airline spokesman Peter Sherrard said the move would allow Ryanair to offer lower fares as it gains more revenue through passenger ad exposure.