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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 400
Location: London, UK
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 Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:15 pm Post subject: Ryanair reviews Transatlantic plans |
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Europe's biggest no-frills airline, Ryanair, is once again reviewing its plans to launch a low cost transatlantic subsidiary which will fly from Western Europe to the East Coast of the United States.
David Millward, Transport Editor at The Telegraph writes:
| Quote: | Senior executives at Ryanair first floated the idea of entering the transatlantic market more than a year ago. But at the time it appeared to be little more than a pipe dream.
But soaring fuel prices over the past 12 months and more than two dozen airline failures have dramatically changed the landscape making it far easier for Ryanair to enter the market. |
Source: Ryanair plots transatlantic price war |
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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 400
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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On the basis of Millward's reporting (in the article referenced above) and previous activity by Ryanair executives, it's a fair guess that the transatlantic routes currently under tentative consideration by the no-frills behemoth are:
From...
a) Glasgow Prestwick
b) London Stansted; and
c) Birmingham International
To...
New York Long Island Islip Macarthur. |
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Konangrit
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 137
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| Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:38 am Post subject: |
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| If anyone can make a low cost transatlantic airline work I'm sure it would be Ryanair. It doesn't sound like it will happen for a while though. |
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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 400
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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I think you're right about that - this is going to take another two years, give or take.
A low cost long-haul sister airline to Ryanair may be the phoenix which eventually rises out of the current series of airline collapses.
On October 7th, Ryanair CEO, Michael O'Leary spoke at a press conference:
| Quote: | | "If aircraft fleet prices collapse [...] There may be the opportunity to buy a fleet of long-haul aircraft cheaply next year," he said, adding that a collapse of a carrier may create the opportunity for such an order, which would then take a further 18 months to deliver. |
See this Reuters report for more:
Ryanair CEO says may help set up long-haul carrier |
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dvoretzky
Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 23
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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 400
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:37 am Post subject: |
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I missed this last Wednesday, but I see the Transport Correspondent at The Guardian, Dan Millmer, has put together an update on this story, including some direct quotes from O'Leary.
| Quote: | | O'Leary said the airline could be launched 18 months after acquiring a new fleet next year. "There may be an opportunity to pick up cheap long-haul aircraft next year, in which case we might launch a low-cost, long-haul programme in two-and-a-half years," O'Leary said. |
| Quote: | | He added Ryanair would be "distinctly separate" from the new carrier, which will attempt to make a better fist of the low-cost transatlantic market than Zoom, the Canadian-British carrier that fell into administration in August. O'Leary also ruled himself out of running the new business, but said he might join other Ryanair investors such as Prudential and private equity firm TPG in backing the venture. |
Millmer also speculates in the same article as to which airports on each side of the Atlantic will benefit from the long-haul low cost routes operated by Ryanair's new transatlantic sister-airline.
| Quote: | | The carrier would operate from up to nine bases on each side of the Atlantic, with Stansted, Frankfurt-Hahn and Rome-Fiumicino among the candidates for European hubs. Islip airport on Long Island is mooted as a New York base. |
Source: Ryanair boss sets sights on no-frills transatlantic flights with new airline |
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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 400
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:02 am Post subject: |
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As Konangrit says, if anyone stands a chance of making a low cost transatlantic airline successful, it's likely to be Ryanair.
I think, in future we will look back and see those who first attempted to create long-haul, low fare airlines - Oasis and Zoom as valiant but inexperienced pioneers.
It remains to be seen whether - as Air Asia X has suggested - an extensive short-haul low cost route network at one or both ends of a long-haul connection represents the vital missing component required to make long-haul low cost successful.
But if this factor does make a significant difference to the viability of long-haul low cost operations, then a Ryanair sister-airline is clearly better placed to take on the Transatlantic challenge than the failed Zoom Airlines.
And, if it succeeds, what is to stop the merged Clickair-Vueling from copying the initiative and creating a long-haul low cost operation which connects Iberia with Latin America? |
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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 400
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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It appears that Ryanair isn't only considering flying across the Atlantic from Germany, Italy and the UK...
| Quote: | | Speaking at a Stockholm press conference on Tuesday, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said the airline wanted to run transatlantic flights from Stockholm's Skavska airport. [...] Although flights to America from Skavsta are unlikely to be seen within the next two years, O'Leary promises vast savings once they do arrive, with economy cabin seats starting from €10 one-way. |
Source: Ryanair mulls flights from Sweden to US |
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