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Ryanair Holdings plc, operating as Ryanair, is Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers and a leading ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), known for its disruptive business model, low fares, and rapid expansion. Headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland, Ryanair operates primary hubs at Dublin Airport (DUB), London Stansted Airport (STN), and Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY). Below is a comprehensive overview of Ryanair’s history, operations, fleet, services, challenges, and future outlook.
Ryanair was founded on November 28, 1984, by Tony Ryan, Liam Lonergan, and Christy Ryan as Danren Enterprises, launching its first flight on July 8, 1985, from Waterford, Ireland, to London Gatwick using a 15-seat Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante under the name Ryanair Commuter. Initially a full-service carrier, Ryanair offered fares of £99 ($126), undercutting Aer Lingus and British Airways. In 1986, it added a Dublin–Luton route, challenging the Aer Lingus/British Airways duopoly under partial European Economic Community (EEC) deregulation. Early struggles included financial losses under CEO Eugene O’Neill, who was sacked in 1987 after proposing to report Aer Lingus to the European Commission, a move vetoed by Tony Ryan due to reliance on Irish government route licenses.
Inspired by Southwest Airlines, Ryanair relaunched as Europe’s first low-cost carrier in 1990 under Michael O’Leary, who became CEO in 1994 and remains in the role as of 2025. The 1997 European aviation deregulation fueled rapid expansion, enabling Ryanair to serve secondary airports with lower landing fees, slashing fares, and prioritizing cost efficiency. By 2000, Ryanair launched its website, designed by 17-year-old schoolboys for £20,000 ($25,400), eliminating travel agent commissions and making it the first airline to accept bookings solely online. The airline carried 5,000 passengers in 1985, growing to 160 million in 2022 and 183.7 million in 2023, overtaking all European competitors.
Ryanair expanded through subsidiaries: Buzz (Poland), Malta Air, Ryanair UK, and formerly Lauda Europe (until 2022). In 2019, Malta Air was formed with the Maltese government to replace the faltering Air Malta, operating routes across Europe. Ryanair’s growth included acquisitions like Lauda Air’s A320 fleet and strategic partnerships, solidifying its dominance. In 2007, CEO Michael O’Leary announced plans for a long-haul airline, RyanAtlantic, to rival Virgin Atlantic with €10 fares and business-class options from European bases to U.S. secondary airports. The plan was shelved due to delays in Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 availability.
As of May 2025, Ryanair operates a fleet of 618 aircraft, primarily Boeing 737-800s and 737 MAX 8200 “Gamechangers” (4% more seats, 16% less fuel, 40% less noise). The group has 300 Boeing 737 MAX 10s on order, to be delivered by 2034, with 21% more seats and 20% less fuel burn. Ryanair also operates a Boeing 737-700 for crew training and corporate charters (previously configured with 60 business-class seats in 2016) and four LearJet 45s (M-ABEU, M-ABGV, M-ABJA, M-ABRB) for transporting engineers and parts.
Ryanair serves over 235 destinations across 37 countries, including Europe, North Africa (Morocco), and the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Turkey), with 3,600 daily flights from 80 bases, including Dublin, London Stansted, Milan Bergamo, and secondary airports like Paris Beauvais and Dusseldorf Weeze. Its strategy of using less-congested airports reduces costs but requires passengers to arrange longer transfers to city centers. In 2023, Ryanair contributed £14 billion to the UK economy, supporting 98,000 jobs and operating 600 UK routes.
Ryanair’s subsidiaries enhance its network: Ryanair UK operates domestic UK and UK–Europe flights from bases at London Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Belfast International, while Malta Air and Buzz expand regional coverage. The airline maintains a single-fleet strategy (except for Buzz’s A320s) to minimize maintenance and training costs, with online bookings further reducing expenses.