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EspañolRYANAIR
:: ''For other uses of 'RYR', see Robert Yates Racing''
'Ryanair' (, , ) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin, with its biggest operational base situated in London Stansted Airport in the UK. It is Europe's largest low-cost carrier and it is one of the world's largest and most successful airlines (whether in terms of profits, number of flights, number of passengers flown). As of 31 July 2007, Ryanair operates 516 routes across 26
countries from from 23 bases[1]. Ryanair has been characterised by rapid expansion, a result of the deregulation of the air industry in Europe in 1997.
Over the years, it has evolved into one of the world's most profitable airlines,[2] running at remarkable margins by passing its costs directly to its customers. Ryanair is the third largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers.[3]
Ryanair is also one of Europe's most controversial companies, praised by some, criticised by others. Its supporters praise its commitment to low fares, radical management, and its willingness to challenge what it calls the 'establishment' within the airline industry (similar to its American counterpart, Southwest Airlines). Critics, meanwhile, have attacked its trade union policies,[4] hidden "taxes" and fees, and limited customer services, and charged that it practises deceptive advertising. In October 2006, Ryanair was voted the world's most disliked airline in a survey by the TripAdvisor website, and in November 2006, it was revealed as the subject of more complaints than any other airline in the EU.[5] The BBC reported that 56% of respondents said Ryanair caused "the biggest headaches" for air travellers in a poll taken in 2003. [6] 60% of all complaints to Ireland's Commission for Aviation Regulation were about Ryanair. [7] On 22 August 2007 the UK's Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint that Ryanair had misled the public in an advert comparing its service from London Stansted to Brussels (in fact to Charleroi) with that of Eurostar. The advert claimed that Ryanair was both quicker and cheaper, whereas the ASA found that Ryanair had not included the time and costs of travel to and from the airports in question in its comparison [8]
Financials and history
Financial overview
Ryanair passenger numbers.
Ryanair has grown massively since its establishment in 1985, from a small airline flying a short hop from Waterford to London, into one of Europe's largest carriers. After taking the rapidly growing airline public in 1997 the money raised was used to expand the airline into a pan-European carrier. Revenues have risen from €231 million in 1998 to some €843 million in 2003, and net profits have increased from €48 million to €239 million over the same period. In an industry where the survival rate is 1 in 10 and where even the giants such as American Airlines and Delta struggle to keep in the black, Ryanair's success has confounded many industry analysts. However, it has been consistent with the growth of other no-frills airlines, such as Southwest and JetBlue, since the terrorist attacks in the United States of America on 11 September 2001.
Early years
Ryanair was founded in 1985 by Cathal and Declan Ryan (after whom the company is named), Liam Lonergan (owner of an Irish tour operator named Club Travel), and noted Irish businessman Tony Ryan, founder of Guinness Peat Aviation and father of Cathal and Declan. [9] The airline began with a 14 seat Embraer turboprop aircraft flying between Waterford and London Gatwick with the aim of breaking the duopoly on London-Ireland flights at that time held by British Airways and Aer Lingus.
In 1986 the company added a second route – flying Dublin-London Luton in direct competition to the Aer Lingus / BA duopoly for the first time. Under partial EU Deregulation, airlines could begin new international intra-EU services as long as at least one of the two governments gave approval (the so-called "double-disapproval" regime). The Irish government at the time refused its approval in order to protect Aer Lingus, but Britain, under Margaret Thatcher's pro-free-market Conservative government, approved the service. With two routes and two planes, the fledgling airline carried 82,000 passengers in one year.
Ryanair Boeing 737-200 landing at Bristol International Airport, the type operated by the company through the 1990s and up to 2005
Passenger numbers continued to increase, but the airline generally ran at a loss, and by 1991 was in need of restructuring. Michael O'Leary was charged with the task of making the airline profitable. Ryan encouraged him to visit the USA to study the 'low fares/no frills' model being used by Southwest Airlines. O'Leary quickly learnt that the key to low fares was to implement quick turn-around times for aircraft, "no frills", and no business class, as well as operating a single model of aircraft.
O'Leary returned - convinced that Ryanair could make huge inroads into the European air market, at that time dominated by national carriers which were subsidised to various degrees by their parent countries. He competed with the major airlines by providing a "no-frills", low-cost service. Flights were scheduled into regional airports, keen to attract new airlines, which offered lower landing and handling charges than larger established international airports. O'Leary as Chief Executive adopted a hands-on style of management, for example his publicity stunts in helping out with baggage handling on Ryanair flights at Dublin airport.
He is said to have a pugnacious and aggressive management style, using a flat management hierarchy. By 1995, after the consistent pursuit of its low-cost business model, Ryanair celebrated its 10th birthday by carrying 2.25 million passengers.
1992 - 1999
EU deregulation of the air industry in Europe in 1992 gave carriers from one EU country the right to operate scheduled services between other EU states, and represented a major opportunity for Ryanair. After a successful flotation on the Dublin Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock exchanges, the airline launched services to Stockholm, Oslo (Sandefjord Airport, Torp, 110 km south of Oslo), Paris and Charleroi near Brussels. Flush with new capital, the airline placed a massive $2 billion order for 45 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft in 1998.
2000
The airline launched its website in 2000, with online booking initially said to be a small and unimportant part of the software supporting the site. Increasingly the online booking contributed to the aim of cutting flight prices by selling direct to passengers and excluding the costs imposed by travel agents. Within a year the website was handling three-quarters of all bookings, and now accounts for 100% of the total.
2001
Ryanair launched a new hub of operation in Brussels South Charleroi Airport in 2001. Later that year, the airline ordered 155 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft from Boeing at what was believed to be a substantial discount, (taking full advantage of the downturn in aeroplane orders after the slump in air travel following the September 2001 aircraft attacks in the United States) to be delivered over eight years from 2002 to 2010. Approximately 100 of these aircraft had been delivered by the end of 2005, although there were slight delays in late 2005 caused by production disruptions arising from a Boeing machinists' strike.
2002
In 2002 Ryanair launched 26 new routes and established a hub in Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, its European expansion firmly on track.
2003
In 2003, Ryanair announced the order of a further 100 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, and in February a third continental base was opened at Milan-Bergamo in Italy.
Ryanair Boeing 737-800s at Frankfurt-Hahn
In April 2003 Ryanair acquired its ailing competitor Buzz from KLM, at a knock-down price. Expansion continued apace with the launch of a base at Stockholm (Skavsta), Sweden. By the end of 2003, the airline flew 127 routes, of which 60 had opened in the previous 12 months.
2004
The airline launched two more bases in the first half of 2004, at Rome (Ciampino) and Barcelona (Girona), increasing the total to 11 hubs.
During 2004, Michael O'Leary warned of a 'bloodbath' during the winter from which only two or three low-cost airlines would emerge, the expectation being that these would be Ryanair and easyJet. A modest loss of €3.3 million in the second quarter of 2004 was the airline's first recorded loss for 15 years. However, the airline immediately bounced back to ever greater profits afterwards. The enlargement of the European Union on 1 May 2004 opened the way to more new routes as Ryanair and other budget airlines tapped the markets of the EU accession countries.
2005
In February 2005, Ryanair announced an order for a further 70 Boeing 737-800 aircraft along with an option for a further 70. This was expected at the time to allow Ryanair to increase passenger numbers from the 34 million expected in 2005 to 70 million in 2011. Some of these aircraft would be deployed at Ryanair's 12 European hubs, others to 10 new hubs the company intended to establish over the next seven years. In an example of the airline's relentless prioritising of cost over all other factors, the aircraft will be delivered without window shades, seat back recline and seat back pockets, which result in savings of several hundred thousand dollars per aircraft and give continued savings through reduced cleaning and repair costs.
Some slight delays in Boeing airline deliveries in late 2005 (ordered in 2001) were caused by production disruptions arising from a Boeing machinists' strike.
Cost cutting - Ryanair seats with safety instructions
2006
In June 2006 the company announced that in the quarter ending 30 June 2006 its average yields were 13% higher than the same quarter of the previous year[10] and its passenger numbers were up by 25% to 10.7 million, although year-on-year comparison was difficult because of the movement of Easter from first quarter 2005 to second quarter 2006. Net profits (€115.7m) increased by 80% over the same quarter in 2005. Management indicated that this level of growth may not be sustained for the remainder of this year, despite adding 27 new aircraft and opening new routes.
Ryanair's passenger numbers have grown by up to 25% a year for most of the last decade. Carrying under 0.7 million annually in its early years, passenger figures grew to 21.4 million in 2003. The rapid addition of new routes and new hubs has enabled this growth in passenger numbers, and Ryanair is now among the largest carriers on European routes. In August 2004, the airline carried 20% more passengers within Europe than British Airways.
Ryanair posted record half-year profits of €329 million for the six months ending 30 September 2006. Over the same period passenger traffic grew by more than a fifth to 22.1m passengers and revenues rose by a third to €1.256 billion[11]
Ryanair Boeing 737-800 shortly after takeoff
Aer Lingus takeover bid
On 5 October 2006 Ryanair launched a €1.48bn (£1bn; $1.9bn) bid to buy fellow Irish carrier Aer Lingus. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said the move was a “unique opportunity” to form an Irish airline. The "new" airline would carry over 50 million passengers a year.
Aer Lingus floated on the Irish Stock Exchange on 2 October 2006 followed a decision by the Irish government to sell more than 50% of its 85.1% share in the company. Workers retained a 15% stake. The shares began trading at €2.20 each, valuing the firm at €1.13bn. Ryanair said it had bought a 16% stake in Aer Lingus and was offering €2.80 per share for remaining shares.[12] On the same day Aer Lingus rejected Ryanair's takeover bid, saying the bid was contradictory.[13] With a total of 47% of Aer Lingus in the hands of the Irish Government, the employee share ownership trust, and other entities that have publicly rejected the bid, and a further 4% in the hands of Bank of Ireland and AIB who are considered highly unlikely to sell, the takeover bid is now effectively dead. The Ryanair website describes the attempted take over as, "In October...we make an all cash offer for the small regional airline, Aer Lingus".
2007
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 After Landing At Manchester International Airport
Fourth quarter 2006 profits far exceeded analyst expectations, and over the period from October 2006 to February 2007, the stock rose by some 50%. The press suggested that Ryanair is now selling on its 737-800s at higher prices than the cost of acquisition from Boeing.[14]
In January Ryanair conceded, following a BBC investigation, that a claim it had cut its CO2 emissions by half in recent years was "an error".[15]
In the meantime, Ryanair started its flight operation to the island of Malta, from Dublin, Luton and Pisa. New bases have been created at Bremen (April), Weeze (June), Bristol (November), Alicante, Valencia and Belfast George Best.
In May, Ryanair launched BING[16]. This application brings daily fare specials to the user's computer. The tool is extremely similar to Southwest's DING[17], and the frequently asked question section appears to have been plagiarized from Southwest's website.
On 16 May, Ryanair launched a seat sale with fees, taxes and charges waived. A small number of destinations, including Dublin, were offered with 1 million seats for 1 penny or 1 Euro cent. Ryanair's website crashed as it received four million hits from bargain hunters. The sale lasted until the following Monday with just over half a million free seats taken up.
During the weekend of 2 June to 3 June Ryanair's website crashed again for over 48 hours. No explanation or acknowledgement of the problem has been forthcoming from the airline. The problems meant that passengers could not make or check bookings, or use the online check in and other web-based services.
On 18 July The Advertising Standards Agency ordered Ryanair not to repeat a claim that airline industry "accounts for just 2% of carbon dioxide emissions".[18] The ASA ruled it breached rules on truthfulness by not explaining the figure was based on global rather than UK emissions (which are 5.5% of the total).
On the 6th of September Ryanair announced that is will establish a 23rd base at George Best Belfast City Airport
In August it announced it would start charging passengers to check-in at the airport, therefore reversing its policy of paying for online check-in. It says that by cutting airport check-in it reduces overhead costs.[19]
New Long Haul Airline
Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, revealed in April 2007 that individuals involved with Ryanair plan to launch a new long haul airline around 2009 [20]. The new airline would be separate from Ryanair and operate under a different branding. It would offer both low cost and a first class service, intended to rival airlines like Virgin Atlantic. The new airline would operate from Ryanair's existing bases in Europe to approximately 6 new bases in the United States. The new American bases will not be main hubs such as New York's JFK airport, but smaller airports located outside major cities. It is planned that the new airline will eventually operate a fleet of 40 to 50 new Airbus A350XWB or Boeing 787 aircraft. However, since the Boeing 787 is sold out of production until at least 2012, and the Airbus A350XWB will not enter service until 2013, this would contribute a delay to the airline's launch. It was not stated if other aircraft would be operated in the Interim. Mr O'Leary indicated that he intends to purchase the aircraft when market prices for new aircraft recede according to demand. It is said that the name of the new Airline will be RyanAtlantic and sell tickets through the Ryanair website under an alliance agreement [1].
Criticisms and complaints
Ryanair has been heavily criticised throughout the low-cost part of its history for many of its practices.
Public Relations
Ryanair does not employ an advertising agency, instead producing all its advertising material in-house. Michael O'Leary often states that the airline goes to extremes to make a point, an approach which has resulted in Ryanair's advertising occasionally being considered offensive [2].[21] [22]. A British judge has described a Ryanair advert as vulgar [23]
One of their ads used a picture of the Manneken Pis, a famous Belgian statue of a urinating urchin, with the words: "Pissed off with Sabena's high fares?"[3] Sabena sued and on July 10, the court ruled that the ads were misleading and offensive. Ryanair was ordered to discontinue the ads immediately or face fines. The judge also ordered Ryanair to publish an apology in Belgian newspapers and post the summary of the judgment on its website for three weeks, in three languages.
Intent on furthering the publicity of the case, Ryanair did as instructed and indeed issued an apology in Belgian newspapers. "We're Sooooo Sorry Sabena!" said the advert, which went on to list seven more one-way price comparisons, insolently maintaining that Ryanair is up to 89% cheaper. The ad concluded: "Ryanair is really, really sorry and promises to include this information in our future advertising." [4]
In a number of incidents it has responded stubbornly to relatively trivial matters, often to make a point about the constant need to avoid adding "frills" to its service.
Ryanair regularly makes vitriolic attacks on opponents.[24], and has stooped to gratuitous rudeness in its public statements [25]. In one such notable incident, former Irish Minister for Transport Mary O'Rourke (1997–2002), was personally ridiculed in a series of controversial newspaper advertisements when she refused to break up the state monopoly which then ran Irish airports, Aer Rianta. (The break-up of Aer Rianta remains a high-profile demand for Michael O'Leary. Under the State Airports Act 2004, Aer Rianta has been renamed Dublin Airport Authority, although as of April 2006 Cork and Shannon airports had not yet been given autonomy pending resolution of a dispute over debt transfers).
In 2002 Ryanair reneged on a promise of free flights given as a prize to the airline's one millionth passenger, Jane O'Keeffe. She received the prize in 1988, and had been using it for several flights every year, but the airline refused to carry her free of charge on a flight in 2002. The woman eventually went to court and won an award of €67,500.[26] [5]
Unpleasantness and vulgarity of Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary
The Economist journal contends that "What has made Ryanair so disliked...is Mr O'Leary's tendency to rough up anyone who comes within range" and refers to his "typically four-letter-word abuse" [27]. Indeed, O'Leary has on numerous occasions stooped to gratuitous rudeness and foul language in his public statements [28] [29] [30] [31]
[32] [33] [34] and has been widely described as arrogant [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40].
Misleading advertising
Ryanair was ordered by Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to stop claiming that its flights from London to Brussels are faster than the rail connection Eurostar on the grounds that the claim was misleading [25] [42] [42].
Ryanair have made it clear to the public that they are standing by their claims. [44]
Actions on internet
In 2004, a website, Ryanair Campaign, appeared that seeks to publicise Ryanair's alleged ill treatment of its passengers, but Ryanair's lawyers have come down upon it heavily. In August 2006, Ryanair succeeded in an appeal to Nominet to gain control of the domain name that the Ryanair Campaign website was using, on the grounds that it consisted only of the Ryanair trademark plus suffix. The decision did not relate to the content of the site. The owners then moved the site to http://www.ryanaircampaign.org/. A similar attempt by Ryanair to gain control of the new domain name was denied by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Complaints have also been registered with the Advertising Standards Authority over a Ryanair '5 Million seat Free Flights' advert that was deemed to be misleading and a breach of the ASA CAP Code.
Customer service
Ryanair has been criticised for many aspects of its customer service. The Economist journal wrote that Ryanair's "cavalier treatment of passengers" had given Ryanair "a deserved reputation for nastiness" and that the airline "has become a byword for appalling customer service... and jeering rudeness towards anyone or anything that gets in its way" [45]. It has been reported that some newspapers have columns especially for customer complaints about Ryanair [46].
Refusal to refund taxes and fees
Critics have accused Ryanair of poor treatment of customers whose flights have been cancelled. The airline formerly refused to provide accommodation or meal vouchers when flights were cancelled or delayed, a practice which became illegal within the EU on February 17, 2005 [6]. Ryanair also refused to refund taxes and fees when passengers cancel their tickets. They revised their practice on this subject by introducing an administration fee of £14 per ticket for handling refunds, a fee which exceeds the amount the passengers may be eligible for [47]. Norwegian consumer authorities have fined Ryanair £43,000 for this practice.
Having complained about having to compensate customers for cancelled or delayed flights Ryanair is now suing the UK government for compensation for losses it claims it incurred through cancelled or delayed flights over the recent (August 2006) security alerts.[48]
Changes to flight times and informing passengers
In common with other airlines, Ryanair also sometimes makes changes to its flight times at relatively short notice. However, several factors make this particularly problematic in the case of low-cost carriers in general and Ryanair in particular:
★ the company notifies affected passengers by email rather than by telephone, so there is sometimes a delay before the passenger learns of the change (passengers on holiday may not have regular access to email);
★ because Ryanair does not provide connecting flights, many passengers make their own connections by booking separate tickets. If the Ryanair flight time change makes the connection impossible, the passenger loses the cost of the connecting flight unless this is covered by travel insurance;
★ the only way for a passenger to contact Ryanair is through a premium rate phone line. An Early Day Motion in the British Parliament which was put forward in 2006 criticized Ryanair for this reason and called on the company to provide customers with a means to contact the company by e-mail.[49]
Rudeness of staff towards passengers
Ryanair staff have been accused of behaving rudely to passengers. There have been numerous incidents, including the following which have appeared in the press:
★ using foul and offensive language and attempting to grab a boarding card from a passenger [50]
★ treating passengers dismissively during a security alert. A judge called on Ryanair to issue an apology [51]
★ behaving in a menacing manner towards passengers [52]
★ extremely rude and offensive behaviour towards a 14 year old boy with a broken leg and accompanying adults. The boy was forced to stand for the duration of the flight (1 hour 40 minutes) [53]
★ gratuitous rudeness towards a passenger who asked for a non-alcoholic drink after passengers were kept in a plane for three hours due to a delay [54]
★ charging a family of survivors of the Tsunami disaster in December 2004 €1,100 to change their flight, while other airlines did not charge for changes in the flight time [55]
Disabled passengers
The airline has come under heavy criticism in the past for its poor treatment of disabled passengers. In 2002 it refused to provide wheelchairs for disabled passengers at Stansted Airport, greatly angering disabled rights groups.[56] The airline argued that this provision was the responsibility of the airport authority stating that wheelchairs were provided by 80 of the 84 Ryanair destination airports[57] at that time. A court ruling in 2004 judged that the responsibility should be shared by the airline and the airport owners;[58] Ryanair responded by adding a surcharge of £0.50 to all its flight costs.
Specific incidents involving disabled passengers include the following:
★ In 2005, the airline was criticised for ejecting nine blind and partially sighted passengers from a flight at Stansted, because the group meant the plane would be carrying more than the four disabled passengers permitted by the airline's safety regulations.[59]
★ In 2006 Ryanair apologised after refusing to provide an eldery injured passenger with a wheelchair.[60][61]
★ In 2006 Ryanair apologised after refusing to provide a sick cancer sufferer with a wheelchair.[62]
★ In 2007 Ryanair apologised after forcing a 14-year old with a broken leg to stand on a flight, despite the boy being in pain. Ryanair cabin crew and captain were described as cruel.[63]
★ In 2007 Ryanair ordered a group of visually impaired passengers to disembark from a flight before take-off on the excuse that the flight had exceeded the permitted number of "moblitiy-impaired" passengers and refused to pay compensation required by law, claiming that they had disembarked voluntarily. Ryanair paid compensation before court proceedings took place [64] [65].
Airports
Ryanair Boeing 737-800 at Eindhoven Airport
Ryanair commonly flies to regional airports which, while cheap, are in various cases far away from the cities they claim to serve. For example, the airline used to advertise a service to Malmö-Sturup Airport, in Sweden, as "Copenhagen", Denmark (65 km away). When traveling to "Oslo", passengers are flown to Torp Airport, 130 km outside of the Oslo city limits. Ryanair still flies to airports it describes as "Barcelona (Reus)" and "Barcelona (Girona)" - both cities are 100 km from Barcelona. The cost of a transfer to Barcelona from these airports often pushes the prices up considerably.
In some cases the names were eventually changed by legal action (e.g. "Düsseldorf (Niederrhein)" and "St. Étienne (Lyon)"), but in other cases courts have upheld the designated name — this was the case for Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, over 140 km from central Frankfurt, or San Javier Airport (Alicante sur), in Region of Murcia, over 100 km from Alicante city.
One of the company's main hubs is an airport it calls "Brussels South", and which is actually the airport of another Belgian city: Charleroi, some 60 km south of Brussels.
There are similar arguments about Ryanair's flights to Milan, which actually land at Bergamo Orio al Serio, 50 kms northeast of the city, in the Alps between Lake Como and Lake Garda.
In February 2005 Ryanair published an advertisement in Norway's ''Aftenposten'' erroneously featuring flights from Oslo to ''London Prestwick'': Prestwick Airport is near Glasgow, 600 km from London.[66][67] The company said that the advertisement was a typing error.
Union issues
Ryanair has come under fire from unions representing workers in the airline industry for refusing to recognise trade unions and allegedly providing poor working conditions (for example, staff are banned from charging their own mobile phones at work to reduce the company's electricity bill).[68]
Ryanair has attempted to pressure employees not to unionise, according to the Ryan Be Fair website, set up and run by employees to improve working conditions.
[69]
Ryanair does not recognise the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA), although it is the largest pilots' union in Ireland.[70]
On 25 January 2005 the Irish Labour Court guaranteed an investigation into allegations of victimisation of staff who wished to join a trade union.[71]
In July 2006, an Irish High Court judge found that Ryanair had bullied pilots to force them to agree to new contracts, and that some Ryanair managers had given false evidence in court [7].
The T & G Union has criticized Ryanair as an "exploiter of staff" [72]
Subsidies
Ryanair receives subsidies from some European airports, a situation which has been investigated by the European Commission. The EC believes that subsidies from state-owned airports are potentially in breach of European Union competition rules unless they follow strict guidelines.
In February 2004 the European Commission ruled that Charleroi airport gave Ryanair illegal subsidies and ordered the airline to repay roughly €4 million of subsidies. Walloon authorities who offered the subsidies were considering appealing against the ruling because of the roughly €45 million that the airline route brings to the area every year.
Disguising fares as surcharges
Ryanair has been described as "infamous for adding myriad charges for 'free' flights" [73]. In August 2007 Ryanair announced that it would start to charge passengers for check-in at airports instead of online [74], although passengers with bags are unable to check-in online.[75]
The UK newspaper The Guardian has alleged that the insurance fee which Ryanair charges each passenger (charged on every passenger booking together with other additional travel taxes and charges) is unreasonably high.[76]
The insurance surcharge amounted to more than 10% of Ryanair's average fare, the newspaper estimated.
Ryanair declined to disclose its exact outlay on insurance. The Guardian estimates that in the year to March 2005 passengers would have paid £87 million in surcharges. EasyJet, which has a similarly sized fleet, paid £19 million for 2005 disaster insurance.
Ryanair introduced insurance surcharge in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to cover a spike in the cost of insuring aeroplanes. The charge was initially £1.85 but has since increased by 70% to £3.15 (May 2006). Experts claim that during the period the cost of cover has actually fallen to relatively normal rates.
Rivals easyJet spokesman claimed that "Ryanair's insurance charges appear to be far higher than they actually incur (…) Either this is poor cost management on Ryanair's behalf or it's a fuel surcharge in disguise."
Ryanair retaliated by pointing out that, even with taxes included, their average fare is well below easyJet. Ryanair spokesman Peter Sherrard said easyJet "charged each passenger last year £14 more per ticket than Ryanair thereby overcharging their passengers by £413 million".
Also, campaigners for the disabled accused Ryanair of profiteering from another part of "taxes and charges" tab – the £0.33 wheelchair levy.[77] The levy is used to cover the cost of transporting disabled passengers onto its planes. Ryanair is the only major airline operating in Britain to impose such charges.
The UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph estimates that in 12 months up to May 2006 Ryanair received nearly £12 million through the levy. The governmental body Disability Rights Commission (DRC), which analysed the 2004 Stansted airport practice data, said that the levy should be no more than 2p – the company would still have collected £700,000 this way.
The Telegraph quoted Michael O'Leary defending Ryanair's position: "We estimate it costs £25 [per person] to transport disabled passengers at Stansted, and we carry 1.5 million such passengers every year."
British Airways said it had absorbed cost to transport disabled travellers into its ticket prices. EasyJet estimated that services for the disabled added no more than 10p to the price of a ticket.
Baggage allowances
Ryanair operates a baggage policy that it claims passes on the true costs of carrying checked luggage on those who use this service, allowing it to lower the fares for travellers without baggage, as well as flying more efficiently; for bookings made after '20th September 2007', there is a new charge of '£2.00/€3.00' for use of the check-in desk. [8]
Thereafter, '£5.00 /€6.00' per item of checked in baggage each way (or £10.00 /€12.00 roundtrip) provided this is included with the original booking made on the Ryanair website. If the booking is made by telephone or added as an amendment subsequently by telephone or at the airport in person the charge 'doubles to £10.00 /€12.00' per piece for checked-in baggage [9]. There is no free allowance for checked bags on Ryanair, while most other European budget airlines allow 1 free checked bag. The 'total' paid allowance for 'all' checked baggage is just '15kg per passenger', regardless of the number of bags paid for, no single bag can exceed this '15kg' limit, any unused baggage allowance cannot be transferred to other passengers, even when travelling on the same booking reference.
Ryanair was the first airline to impose a charge for checking in baggage, in 2006, taking many passengers by surprise. Since then, other airlines have followed suit, with Aer Lingus adopting the same price structure as Ryanair.
As Ryanair does not allow passengers to share baggage allowances, the example of a couple travelling with two checked bags, the first 20 kg and the second 10 kg would pay a 5 kg excess baggage charge of £27.50 / €40.00 (at £5.50/€8.00/ per kg)[10]. This policy is rigorously enforced by the company at most of its airports, it is a regular scene to witness Ryanair customers stripping their personal effects from bags in an effort to meet these rules.
Ryanair’s carry-on cabin hand baggage allowance is a single item of 10kg, which is a higher weight limit compared to some airlines, [11] and the precise maximum dimensions specified are 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. Additional personal handbags are not permitted. These limits, size and weight are stringently applied, using electronic scales and measuring frames, at London Stansted they are enforced by BAA PLC (British Airports Authority) staff with respect to Ryanair passengers as distinct from other airlines. Mathew Parris, a Times newspaper journalist, recounts his own experience [12]
Dispatches programme
On 13 February 2006, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary as part of its Dispatches series, "Ryanair caught napping". Two undercover reporters obtained jobs as cabin crew based at Ryanair's operations at London Stansted Airport and secretly recorded the training programme, and cabin crew procedures. The documentary criticised Ryanair's training policies, security procedures, aircraft hygiene, and highlighted poor staff morale. It filmed Ryanair cabin crew sleeping on the job; using aftershave to cover the smell of vomit in the aisle rather than cleaning it up; ignoring warning alerts on the emergency slide; encouraging staff to falsify references for airport security passes; and asking staff not to recheck passengers' passports before they board flights. Staff in training were falsely told that any Boeing 737-200 (no longer in service with Ryanair) impact would result in the death of the passenger sitting in seat 1A, and that they should not pass this information on to the passenger. [13]
Ryanair denied the allegations and published its correspondence with Dispatches on its website.[78] It claims to have forwarded all 20 allegations to the UK and Irish aviation authorities, both of whom agreed that there was no substance to them. [14] It also alleged that the programme was misleading and that promotional materials, in particular a photograph of a stewardess sleeping, had been faked by Dispatches. [15] Much of the subsequent coverage of the programme in the media considered that the documentary was overblown and failed to make substantive claims against the airline, with some going so far as to label the attempted exposé as a vindication for Ryanair. [16] Following the documentary, Ryanair launched new services and a free flights offer.[79]
Early 2006 cancellations
In the first quarter of 2006, a substantial number of Ryanair flights were cancelled, with passengers receiving refunds or being rebooked. Ryanair's explanation was that these cancellations were the result of late aircraft deliveries due to the Boeing machinists' strike.[80] However, other sources such as pilot forums [17] suggest that some of the cancellations were due to pilots reaching their annual 900-hour duty time limits earlier than anticipated, since the airline's duty-time year runs from April 1 to March 31. Whatever the cause, a number of other carriers operated wet-lease services for Ryanair during the first three months of 2006. One of these, Eirjet, was involved in an incident on March 29 (see below).
Polls
Ryanair was voted the "least favourite airline" in a 2006 poll by TripAdvisor.[81]
[82]
[83]
One reason cited relative to other airlines was unfriendly staff.
Accidents and incidents
★ The Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating Ryanair Flight 296 from Dublin to London Stansted caught fire shortly after landing on 27 February 2002. Subsequent investigations found that although the aircraft was fully evacuated within 90 seconds, the air crew struggled to open the emergency doors, and some passengers were initially evacuated towards the fire. The UK Air Accident Investigation Board recommended changes to training procedures for air-crew to allow better handling of similar situations in future. [18]
★ On 1 September 2002, the Ryanair Flight 685 from the Stockholm-Västerås Airport to London Stansted was delayed by several hours after a Swedish man of Tunisian descent, later identified and named as Kérim Chatty, was detained after attempting to board the aircraft with a loaded gun in his hand luggage. Subsequent media reports suggested that Chatty was going to hijack the aircraft and fly it into the United States Embassy in London;[84] however, no confirmation of these allegations was found in the following police investigation and trial. 73153.
★ On 29 March 2006, an Eirjet A320 plane operated by Eirjet on behalf of Ryanair, flying from Liverpool to City of Derry Airport, mistakenly landed at the nearby Ballykelly Army Camp Airport some 8 km away.[85] A Ryanair spokesperson stated "This incident arose as a result of an error by the Eirjet pilot. The pilot was cleared by Air Traffic Control in City of Derry for a visual approach and mistook the nearby Ballykelly for City of Derry."[86]
★ On 12 April 2006, a Ryanair flight from Paris to Dublin was diverted to Prestwick Airport in Scotland under instruction from the UK Department for Transport, after a note was passed to cabin crew claiming a bomb was on board. The Boeing 737 was escorted by RAF Tornado fighter jets to landing, and the airport was closed temporarily. Despite the suspicion of a bomb being on board, security forces apparently prevented the passengers from leaving the plane for several hours.[87]
★ On 25 June 2007, a Ryanair plane from Barcelona (Gerona) to Venice (Treviso) lost one of the landing gear's tires, after the flight had been delayed for several hours to repair the same tire. The damage was discovered by airport staff when the plane was parking after landing. None of the 164 passengers was injured. No tire has been found yet, despite long searches carried out by both Gerona and Treviso airports' staff. A similar incident happened in Catania on 15 June 2006, when the Boeing 737 lost a tire from the front landing gear during taking-off. ANSV, the Italian flight security agency, which already advised in that occasion both Easa (European Aviation Safety Agency) and American FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), now started an inquiry. [88]
★ On 28th August 2007 a Ryanair flight landing at Krakow airport blew it's tires on the runway, closing the airport and causing an emergency evacuation.
★ There have been at least four cases of mishandled hazardous landing approaches by Ryanair pilots between July 2004 and June 2006 and in February 2007 the Irish transport minister demanded a report on the final incident. Ryanair has been criticized for demanding turnaround times of 25 minutes, putting pilots under severe pressure. [89] [90].
Competitors
Among Ryanair's main low-cost competitors are easyJet, Monarch Airlines, bmibaby,Centralwings, Air Berlin, Germanwings, Transavia, Jet2, SkyEurope, Vueling, Wizz Air, Flybe, Thomsonfly and TUIfly. In 2004 approximately 60 new low-cost airlines were formed. Despite traditionally being a full-service airline, Aer Lingus moved to a low-fares strategy from 2002, leading to much more intense competition with Ryanair on Irish routes.
Airlines which attempt to compete directly with Ryanair are treated harshly, with Ryanair reducing fares to significantly undercut their competitors. In response to MyTravelLite, who started to compete with Ryanair on the Birmingham to Dublin route in 2003, Ryanair set up competing flights on some of MyTravelLite's routes until they pulled out. Go was another airline which attempted to offer services from Ryanair's hub at Dublin to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. A fierce battle ensued, which ended with Go withdrawing its service from Dublin.[91]
In September 2004, Ryanair's biggest competitor, easyJet, announced routes to the Republic of Ireland for the first time, beginning with the Cork to London Gatwick route – until then easyJet had never competed directly with Ryanair on its home ground. Easyjet announced in July 2006 that it was withdrawing its Gatwick-Cork, Gatwick-Shannon and Gatwick-Knock services; within two weeks Ryanair also announced it would withdraw its own service on the Gatwick-Knock and Luton-Shannon routes.
DFDS Seaways cited competition from low-cost air services, especially Ryanair (which now flies to Glasgow Prestwick and London Stansted from Gothenburg City Airport), as being the reason for its scrapping the Newcastle-Gothenburg ferry service in October 2006.[92] It was the only dedicated passenger ferry service between Sweden and the United Kingdom, and had been running since the 19th century (under various operators).
Destinations
:''For the full list of destinations see Ryanair destinations''.
Ryanair serves 516 routes from 23 hubs. Its main hub is London Stansted Airport, with 88 routes. Ryanair has other hubs throughout Europe, at Dublin, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Cork, Frankfurt-Hahn, Nantes Atlantique Airport, Girona, London Luton, Liverpool, Milan Orio al Serio, Pisa, Nottingham East Midlands, Glasgow Prestwick, Rome Ciampino, Shannon, Stockholm Skavsta, Marseille Provence, Madrid Barajas, Bremen and
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