Appointment

Ryanair Holdings PLC
12 January 2001

                     RYANAIR APPOINTS THREE NEW DIRECTORS

Ryanair Holdings plc, Europe's largest low fares airline today (Friday, 12th
January 2001) announced the appointment of three new non executive directors
to the main board of the holding company. The three new directors (who will
attend their first meeting at the Spring board meeting of Ryanair Holdings plc
in March) are as follows;

 1. Mr Michael Horgan

    Michael Horgan has a long and distinguished career in the airline
    industry. A former pilot of over 30 years experience, Michael rose through
    the ranks within Aer Lingus rising to Chief Pilot of the airline and later
    GM Operations and Assistant Chief Executive - Technical Standards. He
    retired from Aer Lingus in 1993, but has continued to be active in the
    industry as a consultant to a number of international airlines, Civil
    Aviation Authorities and the European Commission. He will chair the Safety
    Sub-Committee of the Board of Ryanair.

 2. Mr Kyran McLaughlin

    Kyran McLaughlin is a stockbroker and corporate financier of many years
    standing in Dublin. As Head of Equities at Davy Stockbrokers, Kyran played
    a central role in advising Ryanair during its initial flotation on the
    Dublin and Nasdaq stock markets in May 1997 and has continued to be one of
    the company's principal advisers since that date.

 3. Mr Paolo Pietrogrande

    Chief Executive Officer of ERGA S.p.A., was born in Rome in 1957. He is a
    US citizen and is a graduate of chemical engineering with a specialisation
    in Biotecnologies (University of Rome) and in Management (California
    Institute of Technology, Insead, Fontainebleau and Crottonville, NY). From
    1990 to 1996 he worked at Bain and Company where he has been involved in
    projects for the definition of energy related strategies for The World
    Bank, Municipal authorities, Electric Utilities and Industrial Companies.
    In 1996 he joined General Electric Power Systems Europe and Nuovo Pignone,
    Florence, as Director for Business Development, in charge of strategy
    planning and merger and acquisitions'. In 1999 he joined the Enel Group
    where he is currently CEO of ERGA S.p.A., managing director of CISE S.r.l.
    and Board Member of Comphoebus S.p.A. Mr.Pietrogrande is also Member of
    the Board of Directors at Ducati Motors plc.


Announcing these new appointments to the board of Ryanair Holdings plc, the
Chairman, Mr David Bonderman said:


    'These are three tremendous additions to our board, as all three bring
    additional skills and expertise to assist the growth and development of
    one of Europe's most exciting and innovative airlines.



    'Michael has kindly agreed to chair the Safety Sub Committee of the Board,
    a role that was formally undertaken by Arthur Walls, whereas Kyran will
    continue to guide the airline in our financing activities and in
    developing relationships with our ever widening investor base, whilst
    lastly Paolo Pietrogrande will bring a Continental European perspective to
    our strategic discussions, something that will be ever more important as
    we continue to grow and expand in the continent of Europe where the demand
    for Ryanair's low fare air services continues to be extremely strong.

    'All of us look forward to working closely with Michael, Kyran and Paolo
    over the coming months and years as we continue to make Ryanair not just
    Europe's largest low fares airline but indeed one of Europe's largest and
    most successful airlines.'



ENDS.                         Friday, 12th January 2001



For further information

please contact:          Pauline McAlester

                         Murray Consultants

                         Tel. [phone]

                         Michael O'Leary

                         Ryanair

                         Tel. [phone]

                         www.RYANAIR.COM - The low fares website