In the summer of 2022, the government decree on extra profit taxes entered into force.Continue reading
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary held a press conference in Budapest to announce, among other things, the launch of six new destinations from Hungary and an increase in the frequency of several routes, writes Turizmus.com.
In this summer’s timetable, the low-cost airline is adding six new routes from Budapest to Frankfurt, Faro, Milan, Skiathos, Trieste, and Tirana, bringing the total number of routes it offers its Hungarian customers to 66.
Ryanair is also increasing the frequency of 20 of its routes, including Alicante, Bari, and Rome.
Alicante, Spain. Photo via Pixabay
At the press conference, the CEO emphasized that the airline plans to carry five million passengers on the Hungarian market in 2024, a 22% increase compared to last year. According to Michael O’Leary, this would make the Irish low-cost carrier the largest airline in Hungary in terms of passenger numbers, beating rival Wizz Air. O’Leary noted that while the competition is thinning its routes, Ryanair is pursuing the opposite strategy by expanding its destinations and strengthening its Hungarian base.
He announced
the arrival of two new Boeing 737s to the Ryanair base in Budapest, bringing the total number of aircraft based in the Hungarian capital to 10.
The head of the low-cost Irish airline also mentioned the global security challenges and the extra profit tax – on which the Curia (the Supreme Court of Hungary) ruled on January 24, that Ryanair does not have to pay the HUF 300 million (EUR 770,689) fine imposed by the Government Office of Budapest.
O’Leary also spoke about the battle between Ryanair and online travel agencies (OTAs). Several of the OTAs, which he described as “pirates,” have already reached agreements or are in the process of doing so, but the other OTAs are still not allowed to sell Ryanair tickets.
Turizmus.com previously reported on the case in an article, as repjegy.hu, among others, which sells tickets on the Hungarian market, has been negatively affected by the fact that due to the impossibility of using their technology, the possibility of selling Ryanair tickets on their site was terminated in mid-December. The airline explained that the portals were forced to take the step because of new customer control measures, pressure from consumer protection agencies, and a ruling by the Supreme Court of Ireland, preventing the use of technologies previously used by intermediary firms.
Via Turizmus,com; Featured image via Facebook/Ryanair