Irish Ryanair, the largest European low-cost airline, will offer 1 million or 20% of tickets at a price of less than EUR 20 after the resumption of flights to/from Ukraine, Michael O'Leary, Executive Director of the airline, said.
"The minister (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov) asked us today and we gave him a commitment that of the 5 million seats will offer in year one 20% or 1 million of those seats will be sold for less than EUR 20," O'Leary said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He noted that the airline would be able to achieve the set task if it has an inexpensive base at Ukrainian airports and appropriate rates of charges.
"We will need to have a low cost base at the airports. But that's a decision for the ministry. The minister (Kubrakov) asked about providing low airport costs. He asked if we will commit to low fares and we said yes. Some 20% of the seats will be sold at fares of EUR 10-14-19, million seats, and most of those we sold at EUR 24-29-34 and EUR 39. The only way we can fill this number of seats will be with very low airfares," the Ryanair chief executive said.
He stressed that Ukraine may have lower prices for air travel than Poland, but should also provide lower airport taxes than Poland.
