Kelly Robertson
Something’s cooking among Europe’s low-cost airlines, according to this report at The Telegraph. Apparently, Norwegian is looking to join forces with the likes of Ryanair and easyJet in a bid to create a “low-cost alliance”.
If formed, the partnership would challenge the long-haul routes of “regular” airlines with lower ticket prices; also, it would allow these companies [budget airlines] to enter other markets in Asia, the US and the Middle East.
In a recent interview with CNN Money, Bjørn Kjos, founder and chief executive of Norwegian, said that he hopes to formalize a partnership with Ryanair before the end of this year. “If we can do it with Ryanair, we can cover lots of routes,” he said. “We should definitely like to do it with EasyJet as well.”
A spokesperson from Ryanair confirmed the news, saying that they are speaking to a number of airlines concerning feeding their long haul flights, and we are in advanced talks with Aer Lingus and Norwegian.
If everything goes as planned, passengers will be able to buy connecting flights across participating airlines’ networks, without the need to book separate tickets. It would also enable budget carriers to compete with bigger flagship airlines, driving down the cost of long-haul travel.
With 203 destinations in 33 countries, Ryanair has the largest European route network of all airlines, with bases in Dublin and London Stansted. EasyJet has 19 European hubs, but has had a rocky year due to fluctuations in sterling and tumbling share prices.
Meanwhile Norwegian — which offers low-cost long-haul routes to the US, Caribbean and Asia — has announced it is expanding into Argentina.
