RyanAir New European Base

[euroboy]

Ryanair have announced that Franfurt Hahn airport will become there 4th european base. They will base 4 aircraft there from Feb 2002 and will create 200 jobs.

[fly737]

I can tell you that they are starting the hiring process
F/O start with 2000£/month......all include
:mad: :mad:

Regards

Belgian pilots are welcome :p :p

[The Guvnor]

MO'Ls being his usual diplomatic, humble self here... :D :D :D

November 22nd, 2001:
RYANAIR ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN BASE TEN ROUTES FROM FRANKFURT HAHN

Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today confirmed that it had chosen Frankfurt (Hahn) Airport to be its second Continental European base.

Starting in ten weeks time (14th Feb next) Ryanair will allocate up to four aircraft to its new base in Frankfurt Hahn, operating over 30 flights each day from Frankfurt on ten international routes to Milan, Pisa and Pescara in Italy, London, Glasgow and Bournemouth in the UK, Perpignan and Montpellier in France, Shannon in the West of Ireland and Oslo in Norway. This new Continental base will result in the creation of over 200 new jobs in Frankfurt Hahn, and will result in over 1,500,000 new passengers being carried through the airport by Ryanair in the first 12 months of this new base operation. These passengers will save over DM200,000,000 compared to the high fares currently being charged by Lufthansa, the high fares airline from Frankfurt Main.

As well as announcing details of its routes, Ryanair also revealed launch air fares at prices that have never before been seen in the German market. Ryanair's lowest one way fare will be at least 80% cheaper than the lowest one way fare currently offered by Lufthansa, the high fare German airline.

New routes from Frankfurt Hahn (lowest one way fares in DEM)

Routes Commences Ryanair Lufthansa (1) Saving
LONDON Existing 99 845 88%
MILAN 14 February 2002 119 799 85%
PISA 7 March 2002 139 999 86%
PESCARA 14 February 2002 139 1106 (2) 87%
OSLO 14 February 2002 159 1535 90%
MONTPELLIER 7 March 2002 139 1027 (3) 86%
PERPIGNAN 7 March 2002 159 1167 (4) 86%
GLASGOW Existing 99 1152 91%
BOURNEMOUTH 14 February 2002 119 845 (5) 86%
SHANNON Existing 99 1125 91%

(1)Refers to Lufthansa's lowest published one way fare on these or nearest equivalent route on 20/11/01 (2)Lufthansa via Milan (3)Air France via Charles De Gaulle (4)Lufthansa to Toulouse (5)BA to Southampton


Announcing details of its second Continental European base today in Frankfurt, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said:

"Thanks to Ryanair and Frankfurt Hahn Airport, the era of Lufthansa's high fares monopoly in the German market is over. For many years visitors to Germany have had no choice other than to pay Lufthansa's high air fares, but this monopoly comes to an end on the 14th February next. German consumers (and potential visitors) will now have a choice of daily scheduled flights and guaranteed lowest air fares from Frankfurt to London, Bournemouth, Pisa, Milan, Pescara, Oslo, Glasgow, the West of Ireland and the South of France.

Ryanair's low fares offer German consumers savings of over 80% on the ridiculously high one way fares being charged by Lufthansa. These fares are only available on Europe's largest travel website at www.RYANAIR.COM, (http://www.RYANAIR.COM,) and we would urge all prospective passengers to book early as seats at these prices will sell out quickly. The recruitment and training of over 200 people has already commenced for the launch of the base on the 14th February next. The routes will be operated by four of Ryanair's newest aircraft, the Boeing 737-800 series"

"Ryanair's expansion into the German market follows closely on the heels of Lufthansa's withdrawal from London Stansted Airport. For the past two years, as Ryanair has opened up low fare routes into Germany, Lufthansa has tried to offer competing services from Frankfurt Main and Hamburg to London Stansted. In all cases Lufthansa has been unable to match Ryanair's low air fares, and has now been forced to pull out of the London Stansted-German market altogether. This experience demonstrates that Lufthansa cannot match Ryanair's low air fares.

"The new terminal at Frankfurt Hahn is operating well, and is now being extended to cope with these new routes and visitors. The success of Frankfurt Hahn Airport highlights the potential growth that is available to progressive airports who provide efficient facilities and low costs. Despite the adverse
impact of 9/11 Frankfurt Hahn is enjoying strong growth in traffic, tourism and job creation, and now that it is Ryanair's second European base, it will continue to do so.

Welcoming Ryanair's announcement of Frankfurt Hahn as its new base, Jorg Schumacher, Managing Director of Frankfurt Hahn Airport said: "This is a milestone in the development of Frankfurt Hahn Airport. This is all the more a milestone considering that the decision is made at a time when other airlines are forced to reduce their number of flights or even discontinue flight operations to some extent.

"With Ryanair, we are able to obtain an airline for our airport for which all experts are currently forecasting outstanding prospects for the future. Hahn has thus established itself as the leading low-cost airport in Germany"

Couple of observations. If "all experts are currently forecasting outstanding prospects for the future", what was Tony Ryan doing selling a large chunk of FR shares recently?

Secondly, Deutsche BA had its nose badly bloodied by LH a while back when it tried to take them to court for predatory pricing - the German consumer courts threw their case out.

[MarkD]

Guv, can't blame a guy for selling at the top of the market - Ryanair are significantly higher priced than the sector in general and there's no guarantees in the fleet expansion/base expansion area.

[Llademos]

Once again, M O'l being economical with the truth:

Selected snippets from Reuters:

"We see this as a big bridgehead into the German market," Chief Executive Michael O´Leary told Reuters on a flight to Frankfurt-Hahn, about 60 miles (100 km) west of Frankfurt, and almost a two-hour bus ride from the city centre.

...

O´Leary said fares could undercut those charged by Lufthansa <LHAG.DE> by as much as 75 percent. He said for example that Ryanair´s lowest one-way fare would be 119 marks to Milan, while he said Lufthansa´s lowest comparable fare was 799 marks.

...

A Lufthansa spokeswoman said the German national carrier was relaxed about the announcement.
"Lufthansa has nothing to fear from Ryanair. The offers of the two airlines are worlds apart as far as the number of European destinations and the number of flights are concerned."
She noted that Ryanair´s publicity quoted only one-way prices, although only one percent of passengers purchase one way tickets. "Ryanair hasn´t given any return prices as part of its price campaign," she said.
She said Lufthansa offered return flights between London and Frankfurt for 179 euros and return flights between Frankfurt and Milan for 125 euros.

[thedude]

Correct me if I'm wronge, (what am I saying of course you will!) , but Frankfurt - HAHN!, you've got to be joking. Not even close. Oh well I suppose it's in the same country. Bit like London - Luton.
:cool:

[FL310]

thedude...LTN is easier to reach from London as well as it is much closer.
Ryanair may call Hahn also Saarbrucken east or Luxembourg east...actually Cologne south would fit as well...
For the area it is a much needed boost, competition for LH is it certainly not.

[Obi Wan Kirk]

Does anyone know when Ryan Air will be opening their Pisa, Italy base?

[5552N0426W]

Why not call Prestwick - Glasgow??? hmmm

[HalesAndPace]

From today's Irish Times - mentions possibility of 2 more new European bases...

Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary said yesterday he was "becoming less and less interested" in investing in Ireland. In a theme frequently returned to at the announcement of the firm's new European hub at Frankfurt, Hahn, airport, Mr O'Leary said Germany's gain was once again Ireland's loss.

"This is the fourth year in a row that Aer Rianta's high costs and abject facilities have forced Ryanair to grow outside of Ireland - first in Stansted, then Glasgow, last year Brussels and this year in Frankfurt Hahn," he said.

Mr O'Leary said Ryanair had offered the Government a deal to launch six routes from Dublin and create new jobs in return for lower landing fees and a new terminal.

Ryanair has offered to fund and construct the terminal itself at a cost of £13 million (€16.51 million). However, its deadline for a response fell last week, he said.

"At a time when Irish tourism is facing collapse next year, the failure of the Aer Rianta monopoly to provide efficient facilities and lower prices is a national disgrace."

Mr O'Leary dismissed the statement by Aer Rianta on Wednesday that plans to grow tourism in the wake of September 11th would be at the expense of regional airports here. The statement was in response to State proposals to reduce landing charges and develop a terminal for low-cost airlines.

He said no other airline has come up with a plan to help make up for loss of air traffic and tourism in light of September 11th.

Mr O'Leary said other countries have responded to the growth of low-cost airlines, and acknowledged the Government was working on the problem - but questioned its approach.

"My problem with the Irish Government is that you're writing out to a monopoly asking it to respond to a suggestion that it break up a monopoly. What sort of a response do you expect? It's a government, it should lead."

Mr Michael Cawley, Ryanair's chief financial officer and commercial director, said Oslo and Pisa were contenders for selection as Ryanair's next hub. Plans may be announced next month. Despite Mr O'Leary's criticism of the Government, he said he would vote for it in next year's general election. "One incompetent minister shouldn't alter what has been a very successful government."

[HugMonster]

I thought there had been a European Court ruling preventing FR from calling Hahn "Frankfurt"? Also Carcasonne "Toulouse".

This is not simply a case of naming an airport like Heathrow or Gatwick. Hahn is a town on its own, as is Carcasonne, and some distance from what Ryanir are trying to claim as the destinations. Tempelhof and Tegel aren't.

The airport can name the airport whatever the heck they like. But that will never make Southend=London. Nor Luton!

[JRF]

I dont remeber when, but it was around 2 years ago I flew from DUB to FrankfurtHahn.

I had two problems with the trip, the bus driver could not make change for my large note. He was going to leave without me but somone on the bus gave me money for the lift (no one around from Ryan Air to help... we are only agents bs... we can not help.)

The drive, I don't remember for sure, BUT IT WAS NOT 2 HOURS, it was more like 1 hour and 15 minutes in rush hour.

When we arrived Frankfurt main train station, I had no idea where I was and I felt as if I was not in the safest place (the bus does not take you to the door of the station.)

For the price difference between the majors and Ryan Air's price, I would do it again.

Those of you that think it is a total joke, it is not, it is a partial joke. The total joke will be if you underestimate the compition and lose our job.

Many people wont fly on cheap airlines, but enough do that they make money and the majors lose money. Go figure?

[HugMonster]

JRF, you appear to oversimplify the issues.

Right now, the majors are losing money (the present tense of the verb, btw, is spelled "lose" not "loose") because of their transtlantic exposure. Prior to Sept 11th., they were doing okay. Had it been part of their nature to lose money, they wouldn't have existed in the first place.

Short-haul operators aren't doing too badly at the moment. And all the UK's low-cost operators are short-haul.

As far as running low-cost operations is concerned, most of the majors are learning lessons from them. Provided all the majors survive the current difficulties, I suspect that Ryanair, easyJet, Go and Buzz will have to watch their backs a little more and (in some cases) stop being quite so smug.

As for a coach journey lasting well in excess of an hour on which you have to have the correct change, without assistance from FR's agents, terminating in what you felt was an unsafe area of town, I think somebody's taking the proverbial...

Hahn is easily 20 miles from Frankfurt. You might as well call White Waltham "London Maidenhead". Calling this place "Frankfurt Hahn" is conniving at a deliberate deception of the passengers.

What next - London Farnborough? London Bournemouth? London Southampton?

Just as a matter of interest, Aerad and Jeppesen do not call Hahn a Frankfurt airport. And I see no reason why anybody else should, just to indulge O'Leary.

[ 25 November 2001: Message edited by: HugMonster ]

[JRF]

I agree that the name of the airport is misleading, and I did not think I was going to be over an hour away. I found that a bit agravating.

Thank you for correcting my spelling. Spelling is not one of my strong points, nor is German, so it would have been nice to be dropped off in a tourist friendly place, not an alley way.

As far as the majors only loosing money since 9/11 (11/9 European), all US majors other then WN and CO lost massive amounts in 01 Q 1 & 2.

I agree, the majors are learning something from the no frills cheap guys, but they need more then learning, they need new management. They need management that cares about the customer and the employee. Let this drive profits. Greed is driving them into the ditches, and 9/11 is only the straw that may cause the camels back to break, not the sole reason!

[MarkD]

How many pax did HHN handle per annum pre-Ryanair?

I would say if 1.5m extra pax go through per annum the public transport situation might improve some. These are Germans, not Paddies who don't know what the words "public" and "transport" could possibly be doing next to each other.

The difference between continental europe and Ireland is that they use their mil airfields as secondary airports. We use ours for a couple of SAR and fishery ops and leave the runway crumble into puff pastry.

[Bluejay]

I am glad that FR are moving into HHN airport but when are they going to start flying to Spain????? The demand is definately there

[CargoOne]

Hey,
take a look on official IATA coding:

Location ID: HHN
City: Frankfurt
Location name: Hahn
Country: Germany
Country code: DE

So, Frankfurt-Hahn is legal name.
Even more - full official name (established long before Ryanair) of Hahn airport is "Flughafen Frankfurt Hahn".
Yes, it is 1,5 hours by shuttle bus from FRA airport to HHN airport, but to be honest I can name several other MAJOR airports which are at the same distance from city centre.
I think they will triple FRA-HHN shuttle frequency and it will be OK for those who like low fares.

[LimaNovember]

I think the FR concept of using smaller airport outside the city centers is brilliant. But you have to put a ?-mark on the names they use. Oslo-Torp(?)As far as I can remember that airport is named Sandefjord lufthavn. I´m just waiting until FR discover the airport Manching, 30-40 min. north of downtown Munich, a military airport with some commercial traffic, and an hour south of Nuernberg ;)