Budget airline Ryanair on course to run flights to US for a tenner

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Ryanair has moved a major step closer to its dream of offering transatlantic flights to the US from under £10.

The budget airline’s directors have approved plans to start a transatlantic airline as part of an ambitious growth strategy at Europe’s largest low-cost carrier over the next five years.

The airline has set out proposals for one-way tickets costing from under £10, although some fares would be much higher.

Breaking new ground: Ryanair's directors have approved plans to start a transatlantic airline offering flights from as little as £10

Ryanair says it is studying plans to fly between about a dozen European and US cities on a transatlantic service that could start ‘in four to five years’.

Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has talked over many years about his dream of setting up a transatlantic airline offering cheap ‘ten buck’ transatlantic fares – with $10 currently equivalent to £6.75.

But the announcement that his board has now approved initial plans suggests the company is now more serious about going ahead with the ambitious strategy. O’Leary is particularly keen to win a slice of the lucrative long-haul transatlantic trade which is one of the most profitable routes in the world.

But it is dominated by long-established European and US airlines including British Airways, American Airlines and, on a smaller level, Virgin Atlantic, which is in partnership with America’s Delta.

Budget: Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has talked over many years about his dream of setting up a transatlantic airline

Ryanair’s plan has echoes of 1970s cut-price pioneer Sir Freddie Laker whose cheap Skytrain flights to the USA transformed transatlantic travel for the masses, until it was effectively killed off by the established airlines, though it inspired Sir Richard Branson to launch Virgin Atlantic.

Ryanair said it would fulfil its long-expressed promise of offering some bargain-basement transatlantic fares at £10, but other one-way tickets would be priced from £99 or more.