Message 2743 from j636 posted the following link to a MEN on line article about Ryanair - see here
Michael O'Leary announces Ryanair expansion plans at Manchester Airport | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk
In the good old paper copy (Business, p50 04/11/2011), the article is much much longer and contains a few interesting other snippets as follows
- MOL says Manchester is central to the airline's growth strategy, adding that it will increase it's presence there "as fast as the airport wants us to". Interestingly he then says "but they (MAN) won't want us to explode and trash what some of their other carriers are doing and that makes sense".
Don't think I have ever heard him say that in public before?
- Then he says that future growth at MAN would continue to be around Summer Sun destinations, particularly in France Spain and Italy.
So he will have to pick his destinations carefully if he isn't going to trash other carriers' markets
- On the spat two years ago, he said " I think there is a much better understanding now between FR and the Airport. There is a new management team here (at MAN) and the relationship is much more sensible. We recognise that FR needs a presence here and Manchester recognises they need FR here.
More concilliatory remarks similar to those made when the expansion was announced after some of the older airport team had disappeared
- Initial bookings from MAN were very strong
- Another interesting comment was that MAN and LBA were two bases showing "rapid growth" and he predicted that would continue. He added " One airport that clearly won't show more growth but won't decline is Liverpool". In the video in the attached link he specifically says people from Manchester won't have to travel to LPL and LBA now to access his cheap fares.
- If the UK Government scrap APD, the airline would consider bringing its extra planes to Manchester earlier than planned
It will be interesting to see how much of this expansion comes to pass bearing in mind his previous track record of promising expansion on hub openings which in the event never happens. However he does seem to have adopted quite a laid back attitude in this interview in contrast to his usual aggressive one.
Suzeman