Re New Base
Ryanair Holdings PLC
28 February 2001
LOW FARES COME TO BRUSSELS
RYANAIR ANNOUNCES 7 ROUTES FROM BRUSSELS CHARLEROI
ITS FIRST CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN BASE
OVER 1 MILLION PASSENGERS IN FIRST YEAR WILL SAVE OVER Euro100M.
Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today (Wednesday, 28th February
2001) announced that it has chosen Brussels South (Charleroi) Airport as its
first Continental European base beating off strong competition from other
airports in Germany, Italy and Sweden.
From the 26th of April next, Ryanair will operate up to 30 flights each day
from Brussels to seven destinations in England, Ireland, Italy, South of
France and Scotland. Ryanair also announced that it would allocate a total of
four aircraft (two of which will be based in Brussels Charleroi) to this new
base. This base will involve the creation of over 100 new jobs in Brussels
Charleroi, and will result in 1 million passengers being carried through the
airport in the first 12 months of operation who will save over e100m over
Sabena's high fares .
Ryanair also unveiled its launch air fares today at levels that have never
before been seen in Brussels. Ryanair's lowest one way fare will be between
80% to 90% cheaper than the lowest one way fares currently being charged by
Sabena, the Belgian State airline.
Daily *Ryanair *Sabena %
BRUSSELS (Charleroi) to: Frequency Fare (Bef) Fare (Bef) Saving
LONDON (Stansted) Six flights 990 3490 72%
DUBLIN Eight flights 1990 21083 91%
GLASGOW (Prestwick) Two flights 1990 14476 86%
SHANNON (Ireland) Two flights 1990 ** 22910 91%
CARCASSONNE Four flights 2490 23906 90%
PISA Four flights 2490 26286 91%
VENICE (Treviso) Four flights 2490 24673 90%
* Lowest quoted one way fare including taxes as at 27 Feb 2001
** Aer Lingus fare
All of these flights will be operated by Ryanair's Boeing 737 aircraft, and
Ryanair today confirmed that 70% of all its seats will be sold at the two
lowest air fares, thereby delivering Belgian consumers, and visitors to
Brussels Charleroi savings of over e100m. each year over the high fares being
charged by Sabena.
Announcing these low fares in Continental Europe today in Brussels Charleroi,
Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said;
'Ryanair today are investing over $100m. in our new Belgian base,
allocating four aircraft, creating over 100 new direct jobs, and
guaranteeing that 70% of our
one and a half million seats each year will be sold at our two lowest air
fares.
'Our choice of Brussels Charleroi as our first Continental base was due to
a combination of;
* Ryanair's success to date at Brussels Charleroi, where we are already
the largest carrier on the Brussels-Dublin market,
* the excellent relationship we have built up over the years with Marie
Dessaux and the management of BSCA,
* the competitive package of costs and facilities which we have agreed
with BSCA and the tourism authorities in Walloonia,
* the central location, easy access and large population base which lives
in and around Brussels, and lastly,
* the huge opportunity which now exists to offer Belgian consumers our
high frequency, low fare services, a choice which has been denied to them
in recent years by Sabena, who have been increasing air fares. It's time
to offer some real low fare competition to Sabena.
'Thanks to Ryanair and Brussels Charleroi Airport the era of high off air
fares in Belgium is over. Sabena will no longer be able to charge such
outrageous high air fares and Ryanair will increase services whereas
Sabena is trying to reduce flights and increase fares. From the 28th of
April next Belgian consumers now have the choice of daily low fare
scheduled flights to London, Dublin, Venice, Pisa, Carcassone in the South
of France, as well as Glasgow in Scotland and Shannon in the West of
Ireland. We will offer not just high frequency services but also (unlike
all other airlines) we guarantee that ours are the lowest air fares as
long as they are booked across our website at www.RYANAIR.COM.
ENDS. Wednesday, 28th February 2001
Ryanair was founded in 1985, and in 2001 its sixteenth year of operation, has
grown to be Europe's ninth largest international scheduled airline, carrying
nine million passengers per annum. The airline operates a fleet of 36 x 737
aircraft, on 51 routes to 47 different destinations. Ryanair is the only
airline or website at www.RYANAIR.COM to guarantee that it offers the lowest
air fares, and this year will employ 1,500 people, operating at five bases in
Dublin, London Stansted, London Luton, Glasgow Prestwick, Shannon and now
Brussels Charleroi. This year Ryanair's nine million passengers will save in
excess of e1billion over the high air fares being charged by Ryanair's
competitors across its route network
For further information
please contact: www.RYANAIR.COM - The low fares website
Pauline McAlester
Murray Consultants
Tel. 353-1-6633332
Ryanair
Tel. 353-1-8121212
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