Ryanair bookings soar online

Ryanair, the discount-fare airline has received 23 per cent of its sales through its Web site, just one month after its launch.

Ryanair.com has recorded £4m sales since its launch on 12 January and claims 35,000 bookings per week via its Web site. Continual discounts in traditional prices and a lowest-price promise have contributed to Ryanair's share price rising by over 70 per cent over the last twelve months.

The online booking system and ticketless travel facility are a pivotal part of Ryanair's strategy to become "the low fares Web site for Europe" which will strengthen its current position as ninth largest airline carrier in Europe.

Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's CEO, intends to aggressively promote this online investment. He said in a statement: "Its potential impact on sales and distribution costs is enormous. During the course of our latest seat sale ... almost 50 per cent of bookings were made on the Ryanair.com site generating substantial savings in travel agent commissions and reservation system fees."

Expansion plans include Internet-only seat sales and low fare promotions, the addition of eight new European routes - to cities in France, Italy, Germany and Sweden - to its network by the end of this year and the purchase of five more aircraft. These moves, according to O'Leary, will generate more than 250 jobs within the UK.

Ryanair has also announced a stock split, approved by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in September 1999 which will become effective on 28 February.