Ryanair to decide soon on new base

Ryanair has said it will decide in the next fortnight whether to base its new route expansion plans here or in Europe.

The airline said it is still waiting on a response from the government before making up its mind on where to base its new routes.

Company spokesman Howard Miller said the possibility of a positive response from the government now seems remote. "If we don't get a response, we are going to launch new routes from the UK to Europe and we will also establish a new base in continental Europe," he said.

Ryanair today announced after-tax profits of almost £17m for the final quarter of last year.