Ryanair, a discount airline popular for travels between European countries, denied plans on Thursday to offer transatlantic flights by 2020 — a reversal from just three days earlier.
“The Board of Ryanair Holdings Plc wishes to clarify that it has not considered or approved any transatlantic flights and does not intend to do so,” the Ireland-based company said in a statement.
The seats were reported to cost about $15, though with extra passenger fees, the price would have come closer to $200 or more. But the price is still significantly cheaper than prices from commercial airlines that currently offer transatlantic flights — which often run upwards of $1,200.
“We would like to offer low cost flights between 12 to 14 European cities and 12 to 14 U.S. cities. The business plan is there but it's dependent on attaining viable long haul aircraft and we estimate that's 4 to 5 years away,” the company announced in a statement.
There was no explanation for the two conflicting news releases from the airline this week.
Monday’s announcement was exciting news for students hoping to study abroad. Cassandra Perkins, a UNC senior, said she chose to ride with Ryanair while studying abroad because she was looking for something convenient and cheap.
But the airline has faced criticism regarding its safety.
Ryanair also brought a lawsuit against U.K. television network Channel 4 for its series chronicling safety issues within the airline. A survey found that nearly 90 percent of the Ryanair pilots who responded didn't think the company's safety culture was transparent — and two-thirds were afraid to bring concerns forward.
The network also accused the company of having to call in emergency alerts because of fuel concerns. Ryanair responded that these incidents occurred due to inclement weather.
The Irish Aviation Authority released a statement in 2013 refuting questions about the safety of their aircrafts, including Ryanair.
“All carriers regardless of size or business model must comply with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety standards in Europe,” the statement said.
Quinn Jenkins, a UNC junior, said she felt safe while using the airline when she studied abroad. But she said there's a tradition that happens on many flights — the passengers clap upon landing because they are all relieved to be safe.
“When the plane lands, everyone claps because we’re all grateful that we didn’t die,” Jenkins said.
Perkins said she felt safe on the airline except for the clapping.
“The only thing that would have made me feel unsafe would have just been that they clapped when we landed, which probably should be a given. So I would say other than that, I felt safe,” Perkins said.
The airline would also likely have financial issues to contend with if it operated transatlantic flights. In a study from Airline Profiler, researcher Marc Israel raises the question of whether a low-budget, long-haul flight is even feasible. The study says that while the low-budget model works for short or medium length flights, there is not much proof that it would be possible for longer flights. Israel said the “realization had many failed attempts.”
Despite feeling safe, Perkins said she would not ride specifically with Ryanair again because of the way she was treated by the staff. But there are other budget airlines she would take again.
She said the airline made her leave behind many of her items, despite other members in line not having to do the same.
“In terms of their other standards, like how I was treated by their staff members, I think that those were definitely sub-par. I was treated really rudely by the flight attendants,” Perkins said.
“So that was, I would say, not what Americans are accustomed to and I’m not sure if we’re ready for a budget airline like Ryanair."
state@dailytarheel.com
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