Ryanair complains to EU

Ryanair Holdings PLC
9 January 2002

 RYANAIR COMPLAINS TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ABOUT FURTHER LUFTHANSA 'DIRTY
                                   TRICKS'

Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today (Wednesday, 9th January
2002) confirmed that it had submitted a second complaint to the EU Competition
Commissioner, Mario Monti and the EU Transport Commissioner, Loyola De Palacio
about the 'dirty tricks' being engaged in by Lufthansa in an attempt to
prevent Ryanair not just advertising in Germany, but now exercising its right
to freedom of speech in Germany.

Confirming the submission of this further complaint, Ryanair's Chief
Executive, Michael O'Leary said today;

    'There is no doubt that Lufthansa are running scared of Ryanair in
    Germany. Having pulled their Stansted routes because they were unable to
    match Ryanair's low fares, Lufthansa have now engaged in a series of
    ridiculous Court actions in the Cologne Court (where Lufthansa has its
    Headquarters) rather than in the Frankfurt Courts, where Ryanair is
    competing with them, which among other things have sought to prevent
    Ryanair from comparative advertising in Germany, and even more laughably
    have sought to prevent Ryanair issuing press releases or making statements
    in the German market critical of Lufthansa.

    'Since Lufthansa have sought these injunctions without any notification to
    Ryanair, or without allowing the German Courts the opportunity to hear
    Ryanair's case, Ryanair will be appealing each and every one of these
    injunctions, and we are confident that the German Courts will vindicate
    Ryanair's right to comparative advertising in Germany, to speak freely in
    Germany, and most importantly to provide competition to Lufthansa and low
    fare choice for German consumers. Lufthansa's air fares in the German
    market are ridiculously high. There is no good reason why Lufthansa's air
    fares should be five and six times higher than those of Ryanair. There is
    also no reason why Lufthansa should force German consumers to spend a
    Saturday night away if they want to avail of a lower fare, or to force
    German consumers to buy a business class fare if all they want is a one
    way fare. Lufthansa's fares are far too high, and Ryanair is determined to
    end this high fare rip off of German consumers.

    'We have appealed to the EU Competition and Transport Authorities asking
    them to intervene to restrain Lufthansa from engaging in this
    anti-competitive behaviour, and we look forward to a time in the not too
    distant future when fair competition will prevail in the air transport
    market in Germany.'



ENDS.                  Wednesday, 9th January 2002

For further
information
please contact:        Michael O'Leary, Ryanair, Tel. [phone]
                       Pauline McAlester, Murray Consultants. Tel.
                       353-1-6633332