Major players snub Ryanair alliance

Ryanair has reportedly established a stronger lobbying presence among other low-fare airlines, but the venture has been boycotted by leading rivals including EasyJet.

The move comes as Ryanair seeks to establish a stronger lobbying presence in Brussels for the low-cost airline sector to combat the Brussels-based Association of European Airlines.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary recently said the AEA was representative of "high fare, rip-off" airlines and "a waste of space."

Wolfgang Kurth, chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd, will be the first president of the new association.

Five other operators have now joined with Ryanair to form an effective lobby group for low fare operators.

These include FlyBE, the UK regional low fares airline; the Volare group of Italy; and Sterling, the Scandinavian airline owned by the Fred Olsen group of Norway.

Hapag-Lloyd Express (HLX), part of Tui, the German travel group and SkyEurope, the Slovakian no frills airline based in Bratislava are also represented.

However, those who have remained outside the alliance include some of the more prominent carriers in the low-fares market.

These include EasyJet; BMIbaby, part of the BMI British Midland group; and Virgin Express, the Brussels-based low cost carrier owned by Richard Branson.

Speaking today Easyjet's Toby Nicol, head of corporate affairs, said : "Our experience to date of trying to get an industry association off the ground demonstrates that we all end up arguing with one another.

"Our interests are best served by being able to decide on our own which battles we fight and which we don't," Nicol added.

O'Leary has dismissed recent disagreements with its competitors as 'just public relations and marketing.'

Ryanair is currently before the courts in France over its deals with publicly owned airports.

O'Leary has vowed to appeal any decision against the airline which he believes will reinforce 'anti-competitive' practices.