Apr 13, 2007 9:00 am US/Pacific
Airline Considers Ireland To U.S. Flights For $12
LONDON (CBS) ―
-
-
Ryanair on Thursday confirmed comments made in an interview by Chief Executive Michael O'Leary that he has already had speculative approaches from U.S. airports about setting up a service.
Budget carrier Ryanair is considering launching a separate airline that would fly long-haul between Europe and the United States around the turn of the decade.
Ryanair on Thursday confirmed comments made in an interview by Chief Executive Michael O'Leary that he has already had speculative approaches from U.S. airports about setting up a service.
More competition is expected on trans-Atlantic routes after the European Union approved an aviation deal with the United States last month to open up the restricted routes to new rivals.
The "Open Skies" deal, which takes effect from the end of March 2008, will allow airlines to fly from anywhere in the EU to any point in the U.S., shedding limitations that also discourage them from charging what they like or combining with other carriers.
O'Leary told trade magazine Flight International that the new airline could fly to five or six U.S. cities from European bases and offer one-way fares as low as $12. It would serve secondary U.S. airports such as Baltimore and Providence in Rhode Island and would also have "premium class" seating.
Ryanair's Web site boasts that in 2007, the company is expected to transport over 42 million passengers across 25 European countries.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments