Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost airline headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland.[4] It is the largest airline in Europe based on annual passengers, fleet size, number of flights, the largest airline worldwide based on number of international passengers carried,[5] and the third-largest airline worldwide based on market capitalization after Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.[6] It has the fifth highest net income of all airlines worldwide.[7] In 2025, the company sold 208 million airline tickets,[8] with average total revenue of €70 per ticket sold, compared to average total costs of €62 per ticket sold.[1] It is widely considered to be the cheapest or one of the cheapest airlines in Europe.[9]
Ryanair operates 3,500 short-haul flights per day serving approximately 230 airports in over 40 countries in Europe as well as Morocco, Jordan, and Turkey.[1][10] The primary operational bases are at Dublin, London Stansted, and Milan Bergamo airports.[11]
Ryanair is known for its no frills policy; it generates ancillary revenue of approximately one-third of total revenue as it charges fees for using airport check-in facilities, paying by credit card, for checked-in luggage, has high penalties for oversized baggage not paid for in advance,[12] and has a buy on board programme in which airline meals must be purchased separately.[13] Ryanair is also known for its low cost model; to allow for faster cleaning and quick turnaround times, Ryanair aircraft have non-reclining seats, no seat-back pockets, safety cards stuck on the back of the seats, life jackets stowed overhead rather than under the seat, and requires passengers to use boarding stairs or built-in airstairs rather than more expensive jet bridges.[14][15] To keep costs low, the company also has a long history of significantly adjusting its route network after governments increase airport fees, taxes, or environmental levies.[16]
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, who owns approximately 4% of the company,[17] has been known to intentionally generate controversy to gain publicity for the airline.[18]
Ryanair has a fleet of 613 planes, including 26 leased aircraft.[1][19] Approximately 95% of aircraft used by Ryanair are single-aisle Boeing 737s; the 737-8-200 was designed specifically by Boeing for Ryanair to carry more people at a lower cost per passenger.[20]
Ryanair Holdings plc, the parent company, owns subsidiaries Ryanair DAC,[21] Malta Air, Buzz, Lauda Europe and Ryanair UK. The airline was founded in 1985 by Christopher Ryan and Tony Ryan; Ryanair was named after its founders.
Ryanair is ranked 790th on the Forbes Global 2000[22] and 280th on the Fortune 500 Europe.[23]
The company has consistently ranked poorly in customer satisfaction in annual surveys by Which?; the company has responded that the surveys have a low sample size and that ticket sales continue to increase.[24][25][26][27][28][8]
History
1984-1990
The company was incorporated on 28 November 1984 as Danren Enterprises.[3] It was founded by Christopher Ryan (1936-2007), Tony Ryan (1936-2007) (founder of Guinness Peat Aviation), his son Declan Ryan, and Liam Lonergan (owner of Irish travel agent Club Travel).[29][30][31]
The airline was renamed Ryanair and launched its first flight on 8 July 1985, between Waterford and Gatwick Airport, with a 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante turboprop
Financials
The key trends for the Ryanair Group are (as of the financial year ending 31 March):[211][212]
Legal and regulatory issues
Employment issues
In 2011, a former Ryanair captain was awarded financial compensation by an employment tribunal in London after being fired for handing out a union form to a cabin crew member while on duty.[231]
In May 2014, Ryanair's office in Marseille was raided by French police investigating complaints that the company was failing to follow French employment law. Ryanair lodged a complaint.[232]
In May 2015, the Mayor of Copenhagen supported boycotting Ryanair and banned city employees from using the airline during working hours after Danish unions protested salary and working conditions.[233] After a court trial confirmed the unions' right to a strike action, Ryanair closed its operations in Denmark.[234]
Publicity strategy
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has deliberately courted controversy using misleading advertising and outlandish comments to generate free publicity for the airline.[253]
In 2000, a Ryanair launched a provocative ad campaign headlined "Expensive BAstards!", which compared Ryanair prices with those of British Airways. British Airways disagreed with the price comparisons and brought legal action against Ryanair. The High Court sided with Ryanair, ordering BA to make a payment towards Ryanair's court costs. The judge ruled "The complaint amounts to this: that Ryanair exaggerated in suggesting BA is five times more expensive because BA is only three times more expensive."[254]
In the spring of 2001, a Ryanair advertisement used a picture of Manneken Pis, a famous Belgian statue of a urinating child, with the words: "Pissed off with Sabena's high fares? Low fares have arrived in Belgium." Sabena sued and the court ruled that the advertisements were misleading and offensive. Ryanair was ordered to discontinue the advertisements immediately or face fines. Ryanair was also obliged to publish an apology and publish the court decision on its website. Ryanair used the published apologies for further advertising, primarily for further price comparisons.[255]
Environmental record
In 2018, Ryanair became the first airline and the only company excluding fossil fuel power stations to be among the 10 companies with the most greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. That year, Ryanair had an emission equivalent of 9.9 megatonnes of CO2. Emissions had risen by 49% over five years. Environmentalists said that the aviation was undertaxed.[296]
In 2025, Ryanair was ranked the second most-efficient airline worldwide by Passenger per available seat kilometer.[297][298]
Destinations
Ryanair operates 3,500 short-haul flights per day serving approximately 230 airports in over 40 countries in Europe as well as Morocco, Jordan, and Turkey.[1][10] Ryanair has a significant presence in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It operates to more destinations in Italy than anywhere else, with fourteen bases and nine non-base airports. Ryanair also serves vacation destinations such as Sicily, the Canary Islands, Cyprus, the Greek Islands, and Malta.
Ryanair's largest base is at London-Stansted, followed by its home base at Dublin Airport.[299]
To save money on landing fees and turnaround time, Ryanair uses many smaller or secondary airports.[300] Examples include Paris Beauvais,
Fleet
Safety incidents
- On 21 March 2008, Ryanair Flight 1216 skidded off the runway while landing in Limoges. The weather at the time was poor. Emergency slides were deployed and an emergency evacuation announced.[358][359]
- On 10 November 2008, bird strikes damaged both engines on the approach of Ryanair Flight 4102 from Frankfurt–Hahn Airport, forcing an emergency landing at Rome–Ciampino Airport.[358] Two crew members and eight passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.[360] The port undercarriage of the Boeing 737-800 collapsed,[361] leaving the aircraft stranded on the runway and closing the airport for over 35 hours.
Gallery
See also
- List of airlines
- List of companies of Ireland
- List of low-cost airlines
Further reading
Further viewing
External links
References
- Ryanair Holdings plc FY 2025 Annual Report (Form 20-F) United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 19 May 2025^
- Route Map Flight Connections^
- Richard Aldous. Tony Ryan: Ireland's Aviator Gill & Macmillan Ltd, 2013