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 17 March 2003
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 RELAUNCHES 13 BUZZ ROUTES
WITH INCREASED FREQUENCIES
AND HALF PRICE AIR FARES
- Core of Buzz's loss making operation saved
- Over 90% of Buzz pilots accept new contracts with increased pay
- Ryanair announces 1 million seats on sale for a tenner (GBP10)
- Never before has it been so cheap to get away
Ryanair, Europe's No.1 low fares airline today (Monday, 17th March 2003)
celebrated St Patrick's Day by making a number of significant announcements at a
press conference in London.
Buzz pilots overwhelmingly accept new Ryanair contracts
Ryanair confirmed that it had received acceptances from over 90% of the pilots
who were offered employment contracts with increased remuneration in the new
Ryanair/Buzz operation from 1 April next. The balance is largely due to people
who have yet to return from leave, in order to accept the offers.
Ryanair confirmed that with these acceptances, it now has sufficient personnel
to relaunch 13 of Buzz's 24 routes, with increased frequencies (over those
previously offered by Buzz) and at fares that start at half the price previously
quoted by Buzz from 1 May onwards. Passengers travelling on these routes over
the next 12 months will save over EUR80m over the fares which were previously
charged by Buzz.
In addition Ryanair confirmed that it had made a special email offer to all
former Buzz passengers (whose fares were fully refunded as a result of the
cancellation of Buzz's flights). They can avail of a special offer to travel on
these 13 routes during the month of May at half the price of the new Ryanair
published low fares. In effect these people have already received a full refund
of their Buzz fares and will now be able to book seats for flights during May at
one quarter of the fares previously quoted by Buzz.
Ryanair expects that the rescued Buzz operation will over the first 12 months
operate 8 aircraft, with a total of over 170 people, and will carry almost 3
million passengers at an average fare of just EUR43. This will be at half the
average fare charged by Buzz last year, when with 10 aircraft and 610 employees,
it carried less than 2 million passengers, at an average fare of over EUR80.
Ryanair confirmed that these new low fare seats to Germany, France and Spain
would go on sale from 10.00am on Monday 17th March (St Patrick's Day),
passengers are advised to book quickly as clearly these seats will be snapped up
in record numbers.
Ryanair announces the sale of 1 million seats "for a tenner"
Ryanair also announced that to celebrate St Patrick's Day, and the successful
reorganisation of the loss making Buzz operation, it would celebrate by offering
1 million seats across all of its 59 (non Buzz) routes to/from London for just
GBP10 one way (incl. Government taxes and airport charges).
This "One million seats for a tenner" offer will commence at 00.01hrs on Tuesday
18th march and will be available for purchase at www.RYANAIR.COM until midnight
(24.00hrs) on Thursday 20th March. These seats will be available for travel
subject to a three day advance booking restriction from the 21st March until the
16th April, and there are over 1 million seats on sale at these crazy low prices
for people who wish to book and travel within that period.
Speaking at this morning's press conference in London, Ryanair's Chief
Executive, Michael O'Leary said:
"I can think of no better way to celebrate Paddy's Day than by announcing
the successful reorganisation of the loss making Buzz operation. Buzz is
currently losing over EUR1m a week and KLM have confirmed their intention to
close it down if the sale to Ryanair doesn't proceed. We are therefore
delighted that the overwhelming majority of the people who have been offered
new contracts, at significantly increased remuneration, have decided to come
on board and join Europe's No.1 low fares airline. Their decision completes
this rescue and will I believe lead to long successful and well rewarded
careers in the aviation industry within the Ryanair group.
"Average pay in Ryanair exceeds the average pay of staff in British Airways,
Lufthansa and Aer Lingus and I am delighted to welcome these new recruits
who have chosen to come and work for Europe's No.1 low fares airline.
"We also look forward to welcoming up to 3 million passengers on board
Ryanair's low fare services on the 13 Buzz routes over the next 12 months.
With increased flights, and half price air fares, these customers will save
more than EUR80m in the next 12 months, compared to the average air fares
charged by Buzz over the past year.
"These announcements today effectively complete the turnaround and
reorganisation of the loss making Buzz operation. The disposal by KLM UK is
due to be completed on 1 April next, and we remain hopeful that the various
regulatory authorities will grant their approval on or before that date so
that the core operation and over 170 jobs can be saved.
"Ryanair's own traffic continues to expand rapidly. The new base launched in
Milan Bergamo on 2nd February is enjoying record load factors, and the
advance bookings on the ten routes to/from our new Stockholm Skavsta base,
which starts operations on 4 April are pouring in. The aircraft have already
been delivered by Boeing for these new bases, the pilots and cabin crew have
already been recruited and trained, and we can hardly wait to start flying
and offering millions of Scandinavian consumers real choice and low fares as
Ryanair smashes the "high fare" SAS monopoly in Scandinavia.
"Clearly St Patrick's Day wouldn't be Paddy's Day without some form of
celebration. To mark the occasion and the successful conclusion of the Buzz
reorganisation Ryanair has decided to offer 1 million seats across our
entire network for travel over the next 4 weeks for just GBP10 one way.
"In all cases these tenner fares will include Government taxes and airport
charges, which means that in some cases the net fare charged by Ryanair
(excluding government taxes and airport charges) will be as little as
GBP0.01p. Penny flights for Paddy's Day. A million seats for a tenner. These
fares yet again prove, as we say all over the world on Paddy's Day - you'll
never beat the Irish.
"Seats at these ridiculously low fares are going to be snapped up quickly,
by people taking advantage of a short break before Easter and passengers
should book as early as possible on www.RYANAIR.COM, Europe's largest travel
website."
Ends. Monday, 17th March 2003
For further information
please contact:
Paul Fitzsimmons
Ryanair
Tel. +353-1-8121212
Pauline McAlester
Murray Consultants
Tel. +353-1-4980300
Mob: +353-87-2558300
Route Frequency Fare GBP
Dusseldorf (Niederrhein) 3 per day 9.99
Berlin 3 per day 19.99
Frankfurt (Hahn) 6 per day 19.99
Bergerac 1 per day 19.99
Brest 1 per day 19.99
Grenoble 1 per day 19.99
Toulouse (Carcassonne) 2 per day 19.99
Tours 1 per day 19.99
La Rochelle 1 per day 29.99
Limoges 1 per day 29.99
Poitiers 1 per day 29.99
Jerez 2 per week 39.99
Murcia 2 per day 39.99
* The disposal of Buzz by KLM due for completion on 1st April 2003 is subject
to regulatory approval.
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: 17 March 2003
By:___/s/ Howard Millar____
H Millar
Company Secretary & Finance Director