Ryanair and EasyJet - the world's fastest growing airlines??

[hkskyline]

Ryanair to save £20m with internet check in
By Julia Kollewe
9 December 2005
The Independent

Ryanair, Europe's biggest budget airline, will allow passengers to check in on the internet next year to encourage them to travel light, estimating the move could save it up to EUR30m (£20m) a year.

Ryanair plans to trial a web check-in, allowing passengers to bypass long queues at the airport, in January on three routes, the Dublin-Cork route, an Irish-UK route and another European route. During the trials, which are expected to run for five to six weeks, the airline will assess whether the system works and is secure. If successful, the web check-in will be rolled out across other routes from next summer.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive, said: 'Part of our long-term aim is to get 80 per cent of passengers to fly without checked-in luggage. That would be a big cost saving for us.'

He said it would shave up to 3 per cent off Ryanair's annual cost base of EUR1bn, generating savings of EUR25m to EUR30m, by cutting the number of baggage handling staff by half and check-in staff and desks by a quarter. At the moment, half of its passengers do not check in any luggage.

Mr O'Leary reckons the majority of passengers do not need to carry any more than hand luggage on short-haul flights, with the exception of families.

Mr O'Leary also renewed his attack on BAA's plans to spend £4bn building a second runway and new facilities at Stansted airport. Ryanair and the Stansted users' group claim it will double charges for users from £9 a passenger to £18.

[hkskyline]

Budget airlines urged to help stranded customers
MP calls for hotel accommodation offer or compensation
13 December 2005
Evening Times

PASSENGERS left stranded in airports for days by budget airlines should be offered better protection, an MP said today.

Glasgow East MP David Marshall wants passengers to be given compensation to get them home or the offer of hotel accommodation if flights are cancelled.

He is calling on the Government to take more action so low-cost airlines don't get away with leaving people high and dry.

Last month the Evening Times reported how almost 100 passengers were left stranded in Hamburg after a Ryanair flight was scrapped.

People were offered a refund or a seat on the next flight four days later.

Another 80 passengers were left for 24 hours in Rome before they were flown back to Prestwick Airport, with some even hiring a bus to take them home.

Ryanair does not provide compensation or hotel accommodation in the event of cancellation and had no spare aircraft to lay on an emergency flight.

Mr Marshall thinks budget airlines such as Dublin-based Ryanair, which flies from Prestwick Airport, are in breach of EU laws.

The MP wants to know what Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling, who is also Transport Secretary, is doing to ensure passengers get better protection.

Mr Marshall said: "Low-cost carriers should be more responsible. Some of them simply do not care about their passengers. We have to do more to protect people.

"They may argue they charge low fares, but they are taking money off people for a service and customers expect to receive what they have been promised."

He said he had been contacted by constituents who had been left stranded in Germany last month.

The MP added: "People were offered flights home four days later than scheduled. These airlines are flouting the rules on EU compensation policy.

"They should honour their obligations. The Government should be doing more to protect people."

ARyanair spokesman said: "In cases where the problem is outwith our control we do not pay out compensation.

"However, if it is within our control we will compensate. We apologise for any cancellations and delays to passengers.

"Where appropriate we will pay accommodation and food and drink costs."

[hkskyline]

Ryanair to expand in Germany, in talks with Munich airport - CEO
14 December 2005

FRANKFURT (AFX) - Ryanair Holdings PLC is planning to expand further in Germany and is in talks with Munich airport and others, chief executive Michael O'Leary told Wirtschaftswoche in an interview to be published tomorrow.

'We are in talks with many airports, even with those who do not have scheduled flights yet,' he told the publication.

O'Leary said he had asked Munich airport whether Ryanair could use the airport's Terminal 2, which is currently occupied by Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

The request was rejected, but the CEO said 'we will keep at it. Munich, we are coming.'

Ryanair, which is Europe's largest no-frills airline, said last month it will invest 1 bln usd in expanding its operations at Germany's Frankfurth Hahn airport in the period from 2006 to 2012.

[hkskyline]

Le Figaro: easyJet celebrates Paris success
(Les bons comptes d'easyJet en France)
10 December 2005
Le Figaro

easyJet, the UK low-cost airline, says that demand for its ex-Paris flights has grown steadily since it installed five aircraft at the French capital's second airport, Orly, in 2002. It also points out that, for such high-demand destinations as London, Toulouse and Nice, between 20 and 30 per cent of its passengers are business leaders or executives.

The Paris airports operator, Aeroports de Paris (ADP), for its part, has stressed that easyJet is an airline like any other. It is Orly's second-biggest after the French flagship carrier, Air France, it adds. ADP made its remarks at a function celebrating the boarding of easyJet's 8 millionth ex-Paris passenger. The customer in question, Patrick Desprez, was awarded a free return ticket for two people.

Original article by Christine Ducros

[hkskyline]

Ryanair looks at Latvian licence in move to cut costs
17 December 2005
Irish Independent

RYANAIR is considering transferring its aviation certificate from Ireland to Latvia in a move which experts say could reduce the ability of the company's Irish pilots and cabin crew to claim the protection of Irish employment law.

The airline's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has confirmed that the airline is considering moving its licence, known as an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC); but said this would be a simple cost-reduction measure and would not impinge on the employment rights of its Irish staff.

"We are not looking at a Latvian AOC from that point of view. Employment legislation in Ireland is aimed at multinationals and there's no way we can just scuttle off to Latvia to undermine it," he said.

[hkskyline]

Ryanair cuts flying schedule because of late plane delivery from Boeing
20 December 2005

LONDON (AP) - Irish budget airline Ryanair Holdings PLC said Tuesday that it is cutting its new year flying schedule because of the late delivery of planes from Boeing Co.

The flight cancellations would result in 100,000 fewer passengers a month between January and March, said Ryanair, which has been opening up routes across Europe rapidly in the past year.

It will not affect Ryanair's profit guidance for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006, Ryanair's Deputy Chief Executive Michael Cawley said.

The airline, Europe's largest budget carrier by passenger numbers, said last month it expected full-year profit to rise about 10 percent to just over €300 million (US$354.4 million).

Ryanair is waiting on a delivery of four Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, which have been delayed by a strike by Boeing's machinists in September.

Boeing was forced to halt production of commercial airplanes for four weeks after workers walked off the job over issues including health benefits and pension payouts.

The Chicago-based aerospace company said in a statement that it has worked with Ryanair on a revised delivery schedule through 2006.

Ryanair has already covered some of the waiting period by extending the flying program on a number of older 737-200 series aircraft due for retirement in December.

However, those planes have been sold and the pilots have been retrained on the 737-800s.

The airline said the delay will result in the cancellation of 200 rotations per month, around 1 percent of the total flying program, in the first three months of the year.

It will also delay the launch of the second aircraft at its Nottingham East Midlands base by a month and the launch of the second aircraft at its Pisa base by four months.

Passengers affected by the changes will be notified at least three weeks in advance and switched to other flights or given a refund of their airfare, the airline said.

It said that flights will return to normal when the last of the four planes is delivered in April.

[blimey]

Ryanair has just announced a "major expansion of operation in the Dublin airport" and 18 new routes from and to the airport. Full article:

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...18&p=y667z47z4

New routes from Dublin:

FRANCE - Marseille, Nantes and La Rochelle
GERMANY - Baden (Stuttgart) and Hamburg
POLAND - Krakow, Poznan and Wroclaw
ITALY - Milan and Venice
SWEDEN - Gothenburg and Malmo
SPAIN - Valencia
PORTUGAL - Porto
AUSTRIA - Salzburg
SLOVAKIA - Bratislava
LITHUANIA - Kaunas
UK - Humberside

There will also be increased services to Barcelona, Faro, Cardiff, Malaga, Carcassonne, Biarritz and Lodz.

[hkskyline]

Ryanair sees annual traffic numbers jump 29 pct

LONDON, Jan 5 (AFP) - Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, said Thursday that it carried nearly 2.834 million passengers in December -- an increase of 29 percent in the same month the previous year.

The total compared with 2.197 million passengers carried in December 2004.

The budget airline said the load factor -- passengers as a proportion of the number of seats available -- was 82 percent last month, compared with 83 percent in December 2004.

Meanwhile, the total number of passengers increased in the twelve months to December to 33.368 million people with an average monthly load factor of 83 percent.

The Dublin-based carrier added that 98 percent of its air tickets were booked over the Internet during December 2005, compared with 97 percent at the same stage the previous year.

Ryanair's share price slid 0.25 percent to 8.05 euros in afternoon Dublin trading, while the Irish Overall Index was 0.01-percent lower at 7,483.12 points.

Back in November, Ryanair had posted an 18-percent rise in first-half net profit to a record 237 million euros (280 million dollars), as a jump in passengers and ticket prices helped offset soaring fuel costs.

The figure for the six months to September 30 -- the first half of its financial year -- compared with net profit of 201.2 million euros during the same period in 2004.

Ryanair overcame soaring fuel costs during the first half by cutting other costs and raising ticket prices.

Meanwhile its decision not to impose a fuel surcharge, unlike many of its rivals, has helped to swell its passenger numbers.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Monkey

Rolling 12 month passenger totals to November 2005:
EasyJet = 30,064,445
Ryanair = 32,731,836

Percentage increase in passengers since November 2004:
EasyJet = 19.1%
Ryanair = 25%

Load factor (ie percentage bums on seats) in November 2005:
EasyJet = 85%
Ryanair = 81%

Rolling 12 month passenger totals to December 2005:
EasyJet = 30,301,991
Ryanair = 33,368,585

Percentage increase in passengers since December 2004:
EasyJet = 11.1%
Ryanair = 29%

Load factor (ie percentage bums on seats) in December 2005:
EasyJet = 85%
Ryanair = 82%

[hkskyline]

EasyJet December Passengers + 11.1%
9 January 2006
Edited Press Release

LONDON (Dow Jones)--EasyJet PLC Monday said it carried 2,372,333 passengers in December, up 11.1% from 2,134,787 passengers a year earlier.

The budget carrier said it filled 80.5% of the seats on its flights in December, down from 80.8% in the same month a year earlier.

The budget carrier said filled 84.9% of its seats for the 12 months to December, up 0.3 percentage points from 84.6% in the same period a year earlier. It carried 30,301,991 passengers in that period, up 17.8% from 25,716,329 a year earlier, it said.

Total revenue for the 12 months, which includes the invoiced value of airline and ancillary services, net of passenger tax, amounted to GBP1.381 billion, up 20.5% from GBP1.147 billion a year earlier.

Andrew Harrison, Chief Executive, said: "December passenger numbers were in line with our expectations. Unit revenue for the month (total revenue per seat flown) showed a year on year improvement, supported by strong ancillary contributions."

During December the company announced that it exercised its right to acquire 20 further Airbus A319 aircraft for delivery during 2008 and 2009 to ensure its continued growth to the end of the decade, it noted.

The company said it will make an announcement on International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, on Jan. 20.

[Janis_LV]

Originally Posted by hkskyline

Ryanair looks at Latvian licence in move to cut costs
17 December 2005
Irish Independent

RYANAIR is considering transferring its aviation certificate from Ireland to Latvia in a move which experts say could reduce the ability of the company's Irish pilots and cabin crew to claim the protection of Irish employment law.

The airline's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has confirmed that the airline is considering moving its licence, known as an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC); but said this would be a simple cost-reduction measure and would not impinge on the employment rights of its Irish staff.

"We are not looking at a Latvian AOC from that point of view. Employment legislation in Ireland is aimed at multinationals and there's no way we can just scuttle off to Latvia to undermine it," he said.

Well pilots everywhere in the world are of different nationalities, also in Ryanair they are NOT only Irish and cabin crew on Ryanair is already now consisting of many Latvians. And it becomes more and more international. So if Irish poeple want Irish employment law protection they have to work in Ireland.Ryanair already a long time is NOT pure Irish company having many differnt nationalities working in it and accordingly it has right to move everywhere wher ethey want for the benefit of their passengers which are mostly Non-irish and are NOt travelin neither from nor to Ireland

[Janis_LV]

Originally Posted by hkskyline

Easyjet warns France on air tax
By PEGGY HOLLINGER
26 November 2005
Financial Times

Easyjet yesterday warned that its investment in France could be threatened by the government's decision this week to press ahead with a controversial plan to impose a tax on airline tickets to fund development aid for poor countries.

France has decided to impose a tax of between Euros 1 and Euros 40 (Dollars 47, Pounds 27) a ticket from next July, despite failing to win European support for the idea, first proposed by President Jacques Chirac earlier this year as a measure to fight global poverty. International air carriers, such as Air France/KLM, have strongly opposed the plan, fearing it willl deter passengers from taking air transport.

Yesterday Easyjet said the tax would "have a considerable impact on the French air passenger market and on the several millions we could invest to develop new lines ... This tax will simply add to already deteriorating economic conditions in France."

I can't believe how stupid the French can be. Shame.
Poor countries are poor because France is subsidizing their farmers and farmers from poor countries can't sell their products for normal prices. And French know. That's why such policies are even more bizzare. If they want to put taxes on air tickets - please, you are welcome, but than EasyJet and Ryanair should seriously consider leave France or increase the price for the tickets to France. Quite big part of the tourists could go to Spain and Italy than and French tourism industry could loose quite a big share of tourists. That could teach them a little bit.

Maybe all french should be moved to live to Russia, there they would see the result of 50 years of communism, before thinking too redly.

[hkskyline]

EasyJet Pilots Prepared To Strike If No Pay Deal - Union
11 January 2006

LONDON (Dow Jones)--EasyJet PLC (EZJ.LN) pilots have "overwhelmingly" rejected a pay offer and might ultimately be prepared to take strike action, according to an indicative poll of its members by trade union the British Air Line Pilots Association or Balpa.

A spokesman for the union, which says it represents the vast majority of easyJet pilots, said Wednesday that the results will be presented to the airline as part of ongoing pay negotiations. Balpa is still talking to easyJet and remains "hopeful" that a negotiated settlement can be reached, he added.

The discussion relates to a new pay round, which started this month. Balpa hasn't disclosed the pay package it is seeking for its members.

An easyJet spokesman said Balpa and the company's management remain hopeful of reaching a pay deal. He added that talks have been ongoing for a number of weeks and are likely to take place for a few weeks to come.

[hkskyline]

EasyJet, French airlines lash out at hike in Paris airport charges

LONDON, Jan 12, 2006 (AFP) - British low-cost airline easyJet lashed out on Thursday at the French government's decision to raise charges at Paris' two civil airports by five percent a year over the next five years.

The move was also criticised by the French National Federation of Merchant Aviation (FNAM).

"EasyJet has today raised serious concerns over the French governments sign-off of a five-percent annual increase in Paris airport charges," the company said in a statement.

"The Paris airports of Orly and Roissy-Charles de Gaulle already rank amongst the most expensive in Europe, leaving little to offer in terms of low fares. Only 13 percent of seats on offer in the Paris market are by low-cost carriers including Beauvais, against 40 percent for the London market.

"Such a large increase in charges defies the current trend across Europe of airports reducing charges in order to boost traffic," easy Jet complained.

It said Paris airport operator Aeroports de Paris (ADP) was "simply taking advantage of its planned privatisation to secure government support in order to make huge profits to the detriment of air travellers".

In Paris itself the airline industry also slammed the price hike.

"This is very bad news, not only for our companies but also for passengers and future shareholders in ADP," FNAM official Lionel Guerin told reporters.

Guerin pointed out that ADP had already increased its airport charges by an annual five percent for the last three years.

[hkskyline]

easyJet founder will sell stake only to 'trustworthy' buyer

LONDON, Jan 13, 2006 (AFP) - Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder and biggest shareholder in British low-cost airline easyJet, said Friday he would sell his 16.5-percent stake only if he trusted the buyer to protect the "easy" brand.

"For me there are two issues -- at what price I would sell, and I haven't told you what that is, and do I trust the people who buy to actually look after the name?," he told BBC television.

"Because all my other businesses, including the car and hotels, are relying on the same brand and the same reputation. So I would only sell to people I can trust."

Speculation has been rife that FL Group, the acquisitive Icelandic group which has built up a 16.2-percent stake in easyJet, is poised to bid for the no-frills airline, which is based in the town of Luton, north of London.

Rumours were stoked last weekend when easyJet confirmed it had appointed Goldman Sachs as an adviser to work alongside its existing broker Credit Suisse First Boston -- a move seen as bolstering its bid defences.

FL owns Icelandair and last October bought Copenhagen-based Sterling Airways, Europe's fourth biggest budget airline.

Stelios' brother Polys and sister Clelia each hold a 12-percent stake in easyJet, making the family interest 40.5 percent.

City analysts are meanwhile divided over whether FL has the fire power to bid for easyJet. Some reckon Stelios wants 500 pence per share.

[hkskyline]

Rome incident on Ryanair flight to be investigated

DUBLIN, Jan 13, 2006 (AFP) - Ireland's transport ministry said on Friday that it has begun an investigation into an incident on a Ryanair flight as it prepared to land in Rome last September.

The ministry's Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) is investigating claims the pilot of a Boeing 737 flying from Dusseldorf suffered a crisis as he was preparing to land the plane in bad weather at Rome's Ciampino airport.

The co-pilot took over the controls and the flight was diverted to Fiumicino airport.

According to the findings of an internal Ryanair investigation revealed by the Irish magazine Village, the pilot had recently suffered "a major personal traumatic event", the death of one of his children.

Village quoted a Ryanair document as saying the captain suffered "task overload" and subsequently suffered "a mild form of incapacitation".

In a statement to Village, Ryanair denied the aircraft had "nearly crashed".

It told the magazine the events did not constitute a notifiable incident as defined by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) but that it had copied its internal report to the Authority.

The ministry said in its statement that the incident occurred in Italian airspace and was not notified to the Italian aviation authorities.

"The Italian Air Accident Investigation Unit will decide on Monday if they will lead the investigation in which case the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit will assist them under International Convention.

"The Air Accident Investigation Unit have informed Ryanair of its intention to assist the Italian Investigation Authorities or to carry out the investigation if delegated to do so by the Italian Authorities," the statement said.

The ministry said any investigation carried out by the IAA will be separate from that of the AAIU.

[hkskyline]

GERMAN PRESS: Easyjet Eyes Lufthansa Business Travelers
18 January 2006

FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--U.K. low-cost airline Easyjet plc (EZJ.LN) is hoping to snag high-paying business travelers from Germany's Lufthansa AG (LHA.XE), WirtschaftsWoche will report Thursday.

"Business travelers make up an interesting market segment, since they book late, pay higher prices than vacationers, and make use of additional services such as airport lounges," Easyjet Germany's Chief Executive John Kohlsaat told the weekly.

In order to become more attractive to German business travelers, Easyjet plans to offer more flights between major German and European cities and to set up lounges in the airports.

Magazine Web site: http://www.wiwo.de

[hkskyline]

Ryanair: No Problems With UK Flight Departures
18 January 2006

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Irish budget airline Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) said Wednesday that its flights from the U.K. airports of Stansted and Luton are operating normally despite reports of cancellations on Stansted airport's official web site.

A Ryanair spokeswoman said there appears to be an error on the Stansted airport Web site, which is operated by airport owner BAA PLC (BAA.LN).

She added that the confusion is likely due to the delays in receiving new planes from Boeing Co. (BA) following a strike at the U.S. plane manufacturer. Ryanair said late last year it would be canceling some services and delaying the start-up of a number of new routes due to the late delivery of the 737-800 aircraft during January, February and March.

A spokesman for Stansted Airport said that while the airport's systems and Web site indicate that 34 Ryanair flights have been canceled Wednesday, these services are those that the Irish airline has already flagged won't be operating due to the plane delivery delays. No passengers are booked on these flights shown as canceled, he added.

Ryanair's Web site said its U.K. flights are operating normally. Shares in the Irish airline were hit Wednesday on speculation that its flights were canceled from Stansted and Luton.

The problems are likely to sour relations further between BAA and Ryanair. Ryanair's outspoken Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has long argued that BAA is planning to spend far too much money on developing a new runway and associated buildings at Stansted. He's concerned this may lead to higher airport charges.

By 0910 GMT, Ryanair shares were down EUR0.15, or 1.9%, at EUR7.73.

In a later statement to the stock exchange Ryanair criticized a "false rumor which emanated from one of the London investment banks shortly after 0730 GMT, which suggested that Ryanair's flight schedule was subject to widespread cancellation."

"This rumor was untrue and could have been verified by that bank, had they made any attempt to contact the airline directly," it said.

It didn't name the investment bank.

[hkskyline]

EasyJet Germany mulls complaint against Deutsche Lufthansa's EuroWings takeover
22 January 2006

FRANKFURT (AFX) - EasyJet Plc Germany is considering filing a complaint against Deutsche Lufthansa AG for dumping prices and forcing competitors out of the market, head of the German operations John Kohlsaat told Welt am Sonntag.

'They want to force competitors out of the market by dumping the prices,' Kohlsaat said, adding that this relates to Lufthansa's takeover of the majority voting rights in EuroWings and its no-frills airline GermanWings last year.

Kohlsaat called the EU competition authorities' approval of the takeover a 'scandal' and said the company is considering whether to file a complain with the European court.

'We are currently working on collecting evidence that can prove illegal dumping of prices,' he said.

[SinCity]

RyanAir looks set to be flying to Croatia this summer.