Pau - 100,000 passengers

Ryanair Holdings PLC
26 August 2003





               RYANAIR : 100,000 PASSENGERS ON PAU - LONDON ROUTE

                       ADDS €5.4 MILLION TO LOCAL ECONOMY

Ryanair, Europe's No.1 low fares airline, today (26th August 2003) announced
that it will carry 100,000 passengers in it's first full year on its new Pau -
London route, providing an enormous tourism boost in Pau and the Bearn region,
which will add €5.4 Million to the local and regional economy and will create
100 jobs in the area.

Speaking in Pau today, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said:

'The Ryanair effect is already evident at Pau. This year we will carry 100,000
passengers, 80% of whom will be visitors to this region, boosting the local
economy, providing jobs as well as giving the people of the Bearn region low
fares access to London.

Ryanair currently flies 25 routes to/from France, and like all other airports in
Europe, Pau competed for Ryanair's business with 20 other airports, including
nearby Tarbes.

Ryanair chose to partner Pau because of its efficient facilities, low costs and
progressive management. It is not surprising that Mr. Denagiscarde, General
Manager of Tarbes Chamber of Commerce was not happy about it, as Tarbes also
submitted a similar low cost deal but was not selected. Mr. Denagiscarde called
Ryanair 'dogs' and attacked Pau CCI, claiming Pau had paid considerable sums of
public money to Ryanair. This was untrue. He wrongly accused Pau of trying to
'kill' Tarbes airports traffic. This too is untrue. It is strange that Mr.
Denagiscarde would make such claims when he himself and Tarbes CCI, failed to
admit that Tarbes airport also offered Ryanair a marketing support package
similar to Pau.

Ryanair is working hard with Pau Airport to promote the Bearn region. We are
committed to delivering jobs and thousands of tourists to Pau, Bearn and indeed
the whole Pyrenees region (including Tarbes). Both we and our partners in Pau
are committed to giving Bearn visitors and consumers low fares access from
London without having to pay Air France's high fares and suffer the
inconvenience of connecting through Paris. The supporters of Pau Airport and
Bearn region should ignore the complaints of Mr. Denagiscarde and Tarbes CCI,
which are the understandable upset of a 'mauvais perdants''

Ends      26th August 2003

For further information:

Paul Fitzsimmons - Ryanair   Tarick Dali - DGM Conseil

Tel: [phone]       Tel: [phone]




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