Ryanair’s Ambitious Expansion in Rome: Aims for More Slots Amidst Lufthansa-ITA Deal

Ryanair, the renowned Irish airline, is setting its sights on bolstering its presence in Rome, Italy. Group CEO Michael O’Leary has made it clear that the airline is keen to acquire additional slots at Rome’s airports, particularly in light of Lufthansa’s plans to purchase a stake in ITA Airways.

During a press event where Ryanair’s northern summer 2024 schedule from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Rome Ciampino Airport (CIA) was unveiled, O’Leary expressed a strong interest in securing more slots at FCO. He views the Lufthansa-ITA Airways deal as a gateway to new opportunities for Ryanair in the Italian market.

Ryanair currently stands as the second-largest carrier at FCO, commanding nearly 13% of the airport’s capacity in 2023, as per data from OAG Schedules Analyser. ITA Airways leads the pack with a 28% capacity share. Ryanair’s dominance is more pronounced at CIA, where it accounted for about 90% of the airport’s capacity last year.

The European Commission’s scrutiny of Lufthansa’s proposed acquisition of a 41% stake in ITA Airways, announced on January 23, adds another layer to this narrative. The Commission is investigating to ensure that this deal does not adversely affect competition in both short- and long-haul flights. Earlier concessions by Lufthansa, which included slot relinquishments in Milan, were not sufficient to sway regulatory approval.

O’Leary noted that Ryanair is less inclined to pursue slots at Milan Linate Airport, preferring instead to expand its operations at Milan’s Bergamo (BGY) and Malpensa (MXP) airports.

For summer 2024, Ryanair is introducing seven new routes from Rome, including flights to Dubrovnik, Gothenburg Landvetter, Lisbon, Malta, and Paris Beauvais from FCO, as well as to Gdansk and Riga from CIA. The expansion will see two additional aircraft based at FCO, bringing Ryanair’s total Rome fleet to 17 aircraft and extending its route network to 82 destinations.

In Milan, new services are planned from MXP to Athens, Budapest, Paris Beauvais, Marrakesh, and Tallinn, while BGY will host new flights to Beni Mellal, Castellon, Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, and Skiathos.

Ryanair is also expanding its Spanish operations, announcing its summer schedule from Madrid with new routes to Lisbon and Verona. The airline will operate 62 routes from Madrid-Barajas Airport and station 13 aircraft at the base.

Yet, Ryanair has voiced concerns over Spanish airport operator AENA’s decision to hike airport taxes by 4.1% from March. Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair DAC, has called for the cancellation of this increase, advocating for a stable rate program at major airports instead. This appeal underscores the airline’s ongoing efforts to maintain cost-effective operations amid expanding its service reach.