Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) has thrown its hat into the ring with the announcement by company deputy chief executive, Howard Miller, that Ryanair would bid to acquire 25 Flybe. (BE, Exeter International (EXT)) slots at London Gatwick (LGW). The Irish LCC joins easyJet (U2, London Luton (LTN)) and several other unnamed carriers competing for the lucrative slots. Confronted with soaring fuel costs, falling passenger numbers and higher airport duties, Flybe has adopted tough new cost cutting measures which, aside from the Gatwick slot sale, includes the axing of about 10% of its 3'000-strong UK workforce; a move aimed at saving USD50million (GBP35million).

Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) is understood to be in the early stages of negotiations with Belfast Aldergrove International (BFS) over the planned re-establishment of operations from Belfast. The move comes after the Irish LCC abandoned a small base at Belfast George Best City (BHD) in 2010 in a huff over purported delays in runway expansion works. No exact details of any proposed routes have been revealed however. Ryanair originally operated flights to London Stansted (STN), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL), East Midlands (EMA), Bristol International (BRS) and Glasgow Prestwick (PIK) with flamboyant owner Michael O'Leary pledging to launch a series of European routes once a proposed 600-metre runway extension was given the go ahead at Belfast City. When this failed to materialize, Ryanair abruptly pulled out of the airport outright but still continued to serve Northern Ireland, albeit out of Londonderry Eglinton (LDY).

Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) has welcomed the European Union Court’s ruling which confirmed that the European Commission had failed to investigate Italian government aid to Alitalia (AZ, Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO)) granted in 2006. The Irish LCC added that the ruling reaffirmed the 2011 decision of the European General Court, which also ruled that the Commission had failed in its duty to investigate this "State Aid". With the Italian national carrier having posted a 2012 net loss of EUR280million and an overall debt of more than EUR1billion, a ruling forcing it to repay state aide would further exacerbate its already poorly financial state. Alitalia has also been forced to deny rumours that a possible tie up with Meridiana (IG, Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB)) was on the cards calling them "unfounded and imaginative".

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.