Why Ryanair Is Hungry for Acquisitions
Photo Credit: A Ryanair aircraft. The airline seems keen to add rival carriers to its portfolio. Flickr / FMARINP
Skift Take
Ryanair is the great white shark of the airline world. It knows which airlines are bleeding cash and it is in the mood to feast.
After a gap of more than a decade, Ryanair seems to have developed a sudden taste for dealmaking.
Earlier this year it surprised aviation observers by buying a chunk of Austria-based airline LaudaMotion — and the Irish company is now sniffing around for more acquisitions.
The likes of IAG and Lufthansa have created airline groups with multiple brands and CEO Michael O’Leary thinks that model is something Ryanair could copy.
The plan is eventually for a holding company to sit atop the group structure with separate airlines below. Along with its investment in LaudaMotion, Ryanair has a u
