Story ID: GPryanair03162015
Ryanair Board Approves Transatlantic Plan 
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: Airline in search of long-haul aircraft 
Word Count: 253
Ryanair’s board has approved a plan to fly transatlantic service between as many as a dozen city pairs, the airline confirmed on Monday. The plan comes as part of a broader growth strategy, said the airline, and likely would take between four and five years to come to fruition.   

“The board of Ryanair, like [that of] any PLC, [has] approved the business plans for future growth, including transatlantic,” said the company in a statement. “We are talking to manufacturers about long-haul aircraft but can’t comment further on this. European consumers want lower cost travel to the USA and the same for Americans coming to Europe. We see it as a logical development in the European market.

“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 four to five years away.”

The Irish low-fare airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, has long talked of ambitions to offer a discount-fare service across the Atlantic, but until Monday the airline’s board hadn’t officially blessed any proposal. Norwegian Air Shuttle offers the world’s only low-fare transatlantic service, but its flights between Europe and five destinations on the East and West coasts of the U.S. with Boeing 787 Dreamliners have weighed on its financial results, contributing significantly to a 1.1 billion kroner ($134 million) loss last year.