Ryanair to buy rival airline Buzz

Discount airline group Ryanair is to buy Buzz, the low-cost airline owned by KLM, for around £15m (€22.9m).

Low cost airline Ryanair has struck a deal to buy rival Buzz for £15m (€22.9m), it was announced today.

Buzz, which is owned by Dutch airline KLM, operates 21 routes from London Stansted – Ryanair’s main UK base – to points in Germany, Holland, France and Spain, as well as two French domestic routes.

Dublin-based Ryanair said the deal allowed it to expand further at Stansted.

The airline said it planned to close a number of Buzz’s high cost unprofitable routes and operate the remaining routes at increased frequency, with lower fares and lower costs.