SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of November, 2004
RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
Yes ..... No ..X..
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
RYANAIR TO EXPAND ROUTES IN ITALY
OFFERS FREE FLIGHTS TO STRANDED VOLARE PASSENGERS
Ryanair, Europe's No.1 low fares airline today (Wednesday, 24th November 2004)
announced expansion plans in the Italian market to assist the many hundreds of
thousands of passengers disrupted as a result of the collapse of Volare on
Friday evening last.
Ryanair's Deputy Chief Executive, Michael Cawley unveiled these plans at a press
conference in Milan today which comprise:
1.Ryanair announced a new twice daily service from Paris (Beauvais) to
Venice (Treviso) which is Ryanair's 65th international route to and from
Italy and means that Ryanair now flies on nine of the eleven
international routes previously flown by Volare from Italy to other EU
destinations. Ryanair is operating most of these routes with greater
frequency and lower fares than those sold by Volare.
Volare Routes Ryanair Routes
Milan-Barcelona Milan (Bergamo)-Barcelona (Girona)
Milan-Paris Milan (Bergamo)-Paris (Beauvais)
Milan-Prague No Service
Milan-Valencia Milan (Bergamo)-Valencia
Rome-Barcelona Rome (Ciampino)-Barcelona (Girona)
Rome-Paris Rome (Ciampino)-Paris (Beauvais)
Rome-Valencia Rome (Ciampino)-Valencia
Venice-Barcelona Venice (Treviso)-Barcelona (Girona)
Venice-Madrid No Service
Venice-Paris Venice (Treviso)-Paris (Beauvais)
Bologna-Paris Venice (Treviso)-Paris (Beauvais)
2.Ryanair has undertaken to offer free flights* to all passengers,
booked to travel Volare, on any one of these routes, during the period
from 1st December to 17th March next (excluding the peak Christmas
period of 22nd Dec to 4th Jan - when many of Ryanair's flights are
already sold out). Stranded Volare passengers can make a booking on
these routes, from today (Wednesday 24th November 04) until
midnight 2nd Dec 04,subject to availability by accessing
Ryanair's website at www.ryanair.com, and entering a member
mode by keying in their Volare web booking confirmation.
Passengers will be offered a fare of EUR 0 and
will only be obliged to pay Government taxes and airport charges for
each of the relevant routes. There are a total of 400,000 seats
available on these routes, and all bookings of these free flights will
be on a first come first served basis and are subject to seat
availability.
*Free flight = EUR zero fare but the passenger pays any relevant Government
taxes and airport charges.
3.Ryanair has invited all of the Italian airports affected by the
collapse of Volare to meetings in Milan on Wednesday and Thursday of
this week to discuss the possibility of Ryanair offering low fare
domestic flights within Italy on those routes that were previously
operated by Volare. Ryanair has undertaken that any passengers who have
lost out as a result of the Volare collapse on domestic routes would be
offered a similar period of free fares on any domestic routes
subsequently launched by Ryanair in Italy.
Announcing details of this rescue package for stranded Volare passengers in
Milan today, Ryanair's Deputy Chief Executive, Michael Cawley said:
"Even before the collapse of Volare, Ryanair was already Italy's second
largest and lowest fares airline. Our comprehensive network of
international routes to and from Italy with the addition of this new
Venice-Paris service means that we can offer all international
passengers stranded by Volare a flight on a similar international route.
Our offer of free flights (subject only to Government taxes and airport
charges) will mean that these passengers will have the opportunity of
travelling on their chosen route without losing the vast majority of the
air fare paid to Volare, and we look forward to reuniting friends and
families that may have been stranded by the unfortunate but inevitable
demise of Volare".
"Clearly a lot of Italian airports have lost significant traffic volumes
as a result of Volare's collapse and we have invited all of these
airports to meetings in Milan this week to see if we can help them to
launch low fare domestic and international routes, to make up for the
traffic they have lost as a result of Volare's collapse. Ryanair already
flies to almost all of the airports in Italy previously served by Volare
and we expect to announce further route expansion to and from these
airports in the not too distant future subject to the successful
conclusion of satisfactory agreements with these airports"
"The collapse of Volare last week is the second significant collapse
(V-Bird was the first) in the European low fares sector this Winter.
Ryanair was the first to predict that there would be a bloodbath this
Winter which would result in the collapse of loss making low fare
airlines. With intense competition all over Europe and high oil prices,
only the strongest low fares airlines will survive Volare will not be
the last. Many other airlines talk about low fares, but none can match
Ryanair's low fares, our punctuality or our customer service. We have
enjoyed enormous growth in the Italian market over the past three years
and we expect that Ryanair's pro-passenger response to the collapse of
Volare will enable us to continue to grow and expand in the Italian
market".
Ends. Wednesday, 24th November 2004
For further information
please contact:
Paul Fitzsimmons Pat Walsh
Ryanair Murray Consultants
Tel. 353-1-8121212 Tel. 353-1-4980300
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
Date: 24 November 2004
By:___/s/ Howard Millar____
H Millar
Company Secretary & Finance Director