Ryanair abandon transatlantic plans (or have they?)

[viscount]

Would appear that all the speculation and press build-up is now over as Ryanair abandon transatlantic plans.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31975456

Thanks to Eddie Quinn for passing this this link on by e-mail.

[Deleted]

Well, it was another piece of free publicity for them. I can't believe any LCC will attempt the Atlantic in the near future. Remember, Laker did it in the late 70s from the British side and People Express tried in the 80s from the US side. Since then, all LCC carriers have originated in the US. Southwest was copied by easyJet and by extension, Ryanair. If there was money to be made on that route on a LCC basis, a US carrier would have done it long ago.

The problems as I see them are: 1) There are no suitable aircraft. The 757s and 767s are going to the scrapheap at an ever-increasing rate and A330s are not really available at a suitable price. 2) The US so-called legacy carriers would not be happy about it. 3) The constant fluctuation between the pound and the dollar/euro means that loads fluctuate accordingly. Jet2 discovered this with their transatlantic pre-Christmas flights a few years ago.

[Deleted]

The airlines have been asking Boeing to recommence building the 757 quite possible for this reason but up to now they have not been that committed. Having said that, they have produced an eco demonstrator. Airbus on the other hand have made a lot of headway in developing a 757 replacement in the A321neo. Perhaps the loco's are waiting to see if it will be cost effective enough for this type of venture. Unfortunately, even if it is up to the job it will take some guts to enter this market as as Garstonboy points out, the fluctuating £ could wipe them out (or cause serious damage) overnight.

Boeings demonstrator
boeing.mediaroom.com/2015-03-18-Boeing-ecoDemonstrator-757-Flight-Tests-Focus-on-Aerodynamic-Efficiency

Airbuses planned 757 replacement
airinsight.com/2014/10/22/airbus-757-replacement-news/#.VQyLZblybcs

[viscount]

Amazing how the same announcement from Ryanair management can apparently lead to two quite opposite interpretations in the Press. In New York the announcement means that the low-co transatlantic link is still very much on!

www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/business/international/ryanair-dangles-possibility-of-ultracheap-trans-atlantic-travel.html?WT.mc_id=2015-Mar-Outbrain-Intl_Aud_Dev-0302-0329&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=IntlAudDev&_r=0

So the Ryanair publicity machine, as noted by 'Garstonboy' rumbles on.

[viscount]

I took it that the two Press pieces appeared in the order that I came across them. Eddie Quinn has looked more closely and pointed out by e-mail that the American article is two days before the BBC report on the Ryanair Board meeting. The New York report was speculation that the Ryanair Board would fully back the transatlantic plans presented as fact possibly as a St Patrick's Day boost for the Irish-American readership. The BBC report, two days later, seems to be the factually based one reporting that the Airline's Directors have abandoned their transatlantic proposals.

Well that seems to be sorted out, but somehow reckon the story will rumble on for some time yet.

[Deleted]

Slightly off subject but on the same theme. Has anyone heard anything from easyJet and their attempts to get easyAtlantic off the ground? Many years since the company was formed and (like Ryanair) brought to the fore a few times since but nothing concrete seems to be coming of it.