Ryanair and Aer Lingus have teamed up to offer connecting flights on each other’s services. This is a new venture for Ryanair, the largest budget airline in Europe. They will now transfer passengers from some of their European routes to Aer Lingus’s transatlantic flights. In turn, Aer Lingus will connect its passengers to Ryanair’s various European destinations.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s Chief Executive, had been against offering journeys with connecting flights. However, the company began testing Ryanair-only connections last year.
Aer Lingus Chief Executive Stephen Kavanagh mentioned that they are willing to test this in the market. If successful, they will handle any challenges that come with it. If it does not work out, they will learn from the experience and move forward.
A third-party intermediary will manage the service and provide passengers with connection insurance for missed flights. One of the main reasons Ryanair avoided offering feeder flights for long-haul routes was the risk of having to compensate passengers for missed connections.