With Virgin pulling out of Gatwick, BA considering this option post pandemic and struggling Norwegian limiting traffic movement until April 2021, is there a possibility that Ryanair could be looking to purchase discounted slots from cash stressed airlines, upping their traffic within southern UK and then closing the 'regional hubs' within that area that the memo referred too?
Wizz Air seem to have expansion in their horizons this summer opening up more routes to Greece, Portugal and the recently announced Dubai route, Ryanair could be considering this as a time to capitalise as well during this difficult period; you don't accumulate 4 billion of cash on your balance sheet with luck and precautionary economics in any industry particularly an industry so volatile as aviation with such low margins.
I would say MOL still has an eye on his 5 year prize...it is more than worth his while to try get capacity back to pre-covid levels in the interim, whilst getting heavily discounted aircraft from Boeing (who else are they currently selling too, they are just taking cancelled or deferred Max orders) Max may not be available for another year, then they could start taking delivery of more aircraft in 2-3 years based on the deals he can strike now, production takes time.. if traffic levels return to pre-covid levels which is suggested by IATA economic reports, he has upped his ASK's, possibly increasing market share and share price and having one up on many players within the market who are currently fire fighting, for now try get European governments to suspend Air duty taxes, take no unnecessary aid from Governments and then they will have no long term obligations to pay in the foreseeable unlike competitors..