Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) has dismissed rumours of a possible buy out of Norwegian operator, Wideroe (WF, Bodø (BOO)), albeit in a fairly blunt manner. Speaking in Oslo during the recent launch of his airline's new Oslo Torp Sandefjord (TRF) and Oslo Rygge (RYG) flights to the Canary Islands, Ryanair boss, Michael O'Leary, known for his caustic wit, rubbished any talk about a deal with Widerøe stating "we are not interested in small airlines flying small planes." No comment, or comeback for that matter, has been heard from Widerøe.

Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) is set to become the first LCC to operate into Montenegro when it launches a four times weekly B737-800 service between Brussels Charleroi (CRL) and Podgorica (TGD) from June 20. According to a Ryanair press release, this will be the only service introduced this year owing "to capacity restrictions" though next year there are plans to introduce flights from London, Barcelona El Prat International (BCN), Stockholm Skavsta (NYO) and Milan Orio al Serio (BGY) to Tivat (TIV). The Irish operator had planned to launch services to Montenegro last summer only for negotiations with the Montenegrin government to collapse with Ryanair citing "expensive fees at Podgorica Airport" as its main motive for staying away. Tour operators blamed the government, claiming it purposely sabotaged the negotiating process to protect Montenegro Airlines (YM, Podgorica (TGD)). Bizarrely, despite its economy being heavily reliant on tourism, Montenegro has, until now, not been served by a single low cost airline.

Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) along with other low-cost carriers Air One (AP, Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO)), Volotea (V7, Palma de Mallorca Son Sant Joan (PMI)) and Jet2 (LS, Leeds/Bradford International (LBA)) have all allegedly expressed interest in starting flights to Comiso (CIY), a new airport near Ragusa, south-eastern Sicily, planned to open in May/June 2013. Built on an abandoned NATO air base, Comiso's operator, Società Aeroporto Comiso, markets the facility as being ideal for Low Cost Carriers as well as an alternative to Catania Fontanarossa (CTA), whose serviceability is often undermined by the nearby active volcano, Mount Etna.

Transavia Airlines (HV, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) is planning to drop Dusseldorf Weeze (NRN) from its scheduled network in order to concentrate on its Eindhoven (EIN) and Rotterdam (RTM) hubs. Current flights offered to Alicante (ALC) and Malaga Pablo Ruiz Picasso (AGP) will operate until April 22. As such, the Dutch carrier’s departure means Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) and Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel (TXL)) are the only scheduled airlines left with Transavia already abandoning its shortlived experiment with a German scheduled departure airport. Weeze is located very close to the Dutch border and Transavia will continue to operate charter flights on behalf of tour operators from the airport to both Burgas International (BOJ) and Palma de Mallorca Son Sant Joan (PMI).

Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) is to deploy two B737-800s to Bratislava Milan Rastislav Stefánik (BTS) in 2014/2015 with plans for up to ten in future as the Irish low cost carrier moves to boost its Eastern European market presence. Speaking in the Slovak capital, Ryanair CEO, Michael O'Leary, said the carrier, through establishment of a base, "plans to lift passenger numbers on routes to Bratislava from the 800,000 projected for this year to more than 2 million." Ryanair serves 16 destinations from Bratislava which previously served as hub for Slovak LCC, SkyEurope Airlines (NE, Bratislava Milan Rastislav Stefánik (BTS)), before it folded in 2009.