Ryanair to offer trips to the US

Norwegian Air deal struck

HOLIDAYMAKERS will soon be able to book trips to America with Ryanair – although travellers will have to land at an airport 100km outside New York.

The low-cost airline is teaming up with its budget rival Norwegian to offer long-distance trips from this summer.

Norwegian Air announced last month it will operate a number of routes to the US from Cork. As part of the deal, Ryanair customers will be able to book Norwegian Air’s US flights. Bookings will be made on the website of either firm.

Passengers from outside Ireland will fly into Cork with Ryanair and have their baggage automatically transferred between planes.

While routes are yet to be finalised, it is expected that Ryanair will offer flights from Dublin, London and Barcelona. Customers would then arrive in Cork before boarding a Norwegian flight on to New York’s Stewart International Airport, or TF Green Airport, which is just outside Boston.

Stewart Airport is a former military base developed in the 1930s, and is about a 90-minute drive north of New York city.

The deal is beneficial for both airlines and will help open up Norwegian’s rapidly expanding US routes to more airports across Europe at a low cost, while also guaranteeing higher-priced seats to Ryanair.

A Ryanair spokesman said: ‘Given we have the largest route network in Europe, it’s a logical move and a very attractive proposition for longhaul carriers.’

Norwegian boss Bjorn Kjos said the tie-up was a ‘natural fit’ for the airline, which has close to 500 routes in Europe, compared to Ryanair’s network of over 2,000.

The feeder flights are timetabled to launch this summer, provided both companies overcome the final hurdle of aligning their computer systems.

‘A very attractive proposition’