Ryanair

Ryanair (ICAO: RYR) is a prominent Irish ultra-low-cost airline group, headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland.

Ryanair was founded in 1984 as Danren Enterprises by Christopher Ryan, Liam Lonergan, and Tony Ryan, before being renamed Ryanair in 1985. It began operations with a 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante turboprop aircraft flying a single route between Waterford and London Gatwick. The airline went public in 1997, and its strategic shift to a low-cost business model in the early 1990s, inspired by Southwest Airlines, fueled its rapid expansion. Ryanair Holdings plc, established in 1996, is the parent company of a group that includes Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz, Lauda Europe, and Ryanair UK.

The airline's primary operational bases are at Dublin Airport (DUB), London Stansted Airport (STN) (its largest base), and Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY). Beyond these, Ryanair maintains over 85 other operating bases strategically located across Europe. The Ryanair Holdings group operates a substantial fleet of over 640 aircraft. The core fleet is predominantly composed of Boeing 737 series aircraft, including approximately 410 Boeing 737-800s and 157 Boeing 737 MAX 8200s. The group also includes a single Boeing 737-700 and four Learjet 45s used for corporate and ferry services, while its subsidiary Lauda Europe operates Airbus A320 aircraft. Ryanair has placed significant orders for new Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 to 2034, aiming to further expand its capacity.

Ryanair operates an extensive point-to-point route network, rather than a traditional hub-and-spoke model, serving over 224 airports in 36 countries. Its network spans Europe, North Africa (Morocco), and the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, and Turkey), offering a wide array of domestic and international connections. As an ultra-low-cost carrier, Ryanair is not a member of any major airline alliance such as Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld. Ryanair offers various fare types, including *Standard Fare*, *Regular*, *Plus*, *Family Plus*, and *Flexi Plus*, which bundle different services like baggage and seat selection. While not a traditional "Business Class," its "Business Class" experience typically provides perks such as priority boarding, reserved front-row seating for extra legroom, and ticket flexibility.