Ryanair Essay

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BSB20124-7 Ryanir Case Study Operations Management Staffordshire University Business School RYANAIR Page 1 of 12 BSB20124-7 Ryanir Case Study Operations Management Staffordshire University Business School “Everyone always says, “What’s your secret? “It’s very simple. We’re like Wal-Mart in the US. - we pile it high and sell it cheap.” Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair1 “Ryanair is the best imitation of Southwest Airlines that I have seen.” Herbert D. Kefleher, founder of Southwest Airlines2 “He (O’Leary) is almost certainly one of the most successful leaders in the industry, with a unique business model, discipline and an extraordinary level of confidence” Sir Michael Bishop, Chairman, BMI British Midland 3 “Ryanair has the financial and operational capacity to maintain its position as the dominant player in the low fares, no frills market, and indeed become one of Europe largest airlines.” Stephen Furlong, airline analyst, Davy Stockbrokers 4 RYANAIR CHALLENGES EASYJET In the summer of 2003, Michael O’Leary (O’Leary), the CEO of Ryanair, one of the oldest and most successful low-cost airlines of Europe, outfitted himself in combat gear and led a small army of Ryanair’s employees to Luton airport, the base of rival easyJet5. An Old World War II battle tank was also roped in to complete the effect. This was Ryanair’s way of ‘attacking’ the fares of easyJet, which, it claimed, were very high for a low-cost airline. O’Leary said he wanted to ‘liberate the public from the high fares of easyJet.’ Through this unconventional publicity stunt, O’Leary was able to get his message across successfully and create positive media attention for his airline. Ryanair was one of the first independent airlines in Ireland. Until Ryanair was set up in 1985, the Irish air services were almost exclusively under the control of Aer Lingus, the national carrier. Some other
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