Less bureaucracy and less airport taxes: this is what Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, would like in Italy, on tour in our country these days, to celebrate the company's 30th anniversary in the cities where it is most deeply rooted.
This morning in Bologna the number one of low cost flights announced among other things a record of bookings in the Emilian capital for the 2015 summer schedule, thanks to "34 additional routes and flights to Barcelona, Catania, London, Madrid and Seville, which they will transport around 3 million customers a year and will support 3.000 jobs at the airport”. A prospect that makes Bologna the airport with the best growth performance in Italy and "perhaps in Europe".
Since there is never an end to the best, however, the Irish manager hopes that our country does not add further ties to those who work in the sector. In fact, the jobs act is not enough to create jobs "it is necessary to support growth without aggravating the rules and taxes to pay pensions to former Alitalia employees".
On the other hand, Ryanair's policy is paying off in economic and development terms: it is first for traffic in Europe, for the lowest fares, for punctuality. It fields 1.600 flights daily from 72 bases, connecting 189 destinations in 30 countries, and operates a fleet of more than 300 Boeing 737-800s, while a further 280 new Boeing 737 aircraft (and an option for an additional 100 Boeing 737 MAX 200), will allow it to further lower fares and increase traffic from 90 million passengers this year to over 160 million in 2024.
The group has also been toying with the idea of serving intercontinental routes for some time, in particular to the Americas, but at the moment this possibility is still a secret dream "because of the too high cost of aircraft", says O'Leary. In the event that current conditions change, Ryanair would create a subsidiary sister company dedicated to long-haul flights, equipped with about fifty vehicles, in order to keep prices highly competitive.
“Thanks to our choices – says the manager – since 1985, the year of our birth, the cost of airline tickets has dropped by 90% and travelers have saved 11,7 billion euros”.
In 2015 the company will introduce 30 new routes in Italy and the airports of Crotone and Verona. In this context, the centrality of Bologna stands out: with 34 routes, 200 weekly flights and 3 million customers expected (there were 2,3 million in 2014). However, the Irish do not intend to buy shares in the Petronian airport, which has plans to be listed on the Stock Exchange, but want to help promote its further development: "thanks to its structures, adapted to our needs".
Lastly, under the banner of the “Always Getting Better” slogan, the company is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with the sale of 100.000 seats across its entire European network starting from €19.99 for travel in February and March. Low fare seats are available for reservation until midnight Thursday (February 5).
