new routes

Ryanair Holdings PLC
6 April 2001

            RYANAIR LAUNCHES FOUR NEW ROUTES FROM LONDON TO EUROPE

               MORE AIRCRAFT, JOBS AND TOURISM LOST TO IRELAND

Ryanair, this week (Thursday 5 April) commenced flying on four of its new
routes from London Stansted to Esbjerg in Denmark, Stockholm Vasteras in
Sweden, Salzburg in Austria and Trieste in Italy. These flights are being
operated on Ryanair's newly delivered 737-800 series aircraft, and more than
200 new jobs for pilots, in-flight and engineering personnel have been
created.

Advanced bookings on these new routes have been ahead of expectations. Already
more than 50% of all seats have been sold for the first month of operation on
these new routes, and Ryanair expects that the average load factor for the
first month of operation will achieve 70%.

Three further new routes will commence flying from Stansted directly to
Pescara in Italy and Brussels Charleroi on the 12th of April and then
Gothenburg on 1 June next. In addition Ryanair will be launching its first new
European base at Brussels Charleroi on 26th April next.

These new jobs, new routes, and new tourists have been lost by Ireland as a
direct result of the failure of the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary
O'Rourke to restrain the Aer Rianta monopoly from doubling the charges to the
airlines at Dublin Airport over the past two years. Higher costs at Dublin
Airport in addition to abject facilities, have resulted in higher air fares
and stagnation in our tourism markets at a time when Sterling is strong
against the Irish pound, and traffic on the UK to Europe routes continues to
grow strongly. The closure of Virgin Express's operation in Shannon this week
is just the latest bad news for tourism in Ireland.

Welcoming the inaugural flights on these four new routes this week, Ryanair's
Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said:


    'This is yet another great week for Ryanair and another poor day for Irish
    tourism. Thanks to our guaranteed lowest fares Ryanair is continuing to
    grow very strongly, particularly on our routes between the UK and Europe.
    To have more than 50% of the seats sold for the first month of operation
    on these new routes, even before we have commenced flying them, is a
    tremendous achievement and highlights the continuing strong demand for
    Ryanair's low fare services.

    'Ryanair's traffic growth continues to be unaffected by the foot and mouth
    problem in the UK, as successful bookings for our new routes confirm. It
    is just a pity that this much needed new traffic and tourism is not coming
    to Ireland solely because Mrs. O'Rourke wouldn't support Ryanair's
    proposals. Irish tourism will continue to suffer as long as Mrs. O'Rourke
    pursues her failed policy of protecting the Aer Rianta monopoly at the
    expense of the Irish consumer and the potential visitor.

    'As Ireland begins to consider how our tourism industry recovers from the
    damage done to it by the foot and mouth problem in the UK, serious
    consideration should again be given to Ryanair's (twice rejected)
    proposals for the development of new routes, and low fare access from
    Dublin and Shannon to the UK and Continental Europe. These new routes and
    new tourists would give Ireland's tourism industry a real injection of
    growth at a time when it needs to recover and restore the confidence among
    overseas visitors. This investment of $250 million in Irish tourism would
    have a much more permanent impact on Irish tourism than any of the
    advertising initiatives (however welcome) being reviewed by the
    Government'.



ENDS.                              Friday, 6th April 2001



For further information

please contact:               Michael O'Leary

                              Ryanair

                              Tel. [phone]

                              Pauline McAlester

                              Murray Consultants

                              Tel. [phone]





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