Ryanair Holdings January 2015 Written by Nicole Blake Tran, Jamie Perkinson, Caron Sinnenberg, Lionel Tarica, and Jeffrey S. Harrison at the Robins School of Business, University of Richmond. Copyright © Jeffrey S. Harrison. This case was written for the purpose of classroom discussion. It is not to be duplicated or cited in any form without the copyright holder’s express permission. For permission to reproduce or cite this case, contact Jeff Harrison at
[email protected]. In your message, state your name, affiliation and the intended use of the case. Permission for classroom use will be granted free of charge. Other cases are available at: http://robins.richmond.edu/centers/case-network.html “The customer is nearly always wrong” – Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair (2012) Sitting on the stage of a popular late night Irish television show, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair since 1994, insolently defended his company against criticism. Despite media outrage over subpar safety, poor customer service, and controversial business decisions, Ryanair has excelled in the European airline industry. Its profit margins regularly surpass those of other European airlines. Ryanair went from 5,000 passengers in 1984 to over 81,000,000 in 2014, achieving one of the greatest business successes in the airline industry. THE RYANAIR STORY With a staff of just 25 people, the Ryan family started Ryanair in 1985 in Dublin, Ireland, with the sole purpose of creating an airline with the lowest fares in all of Europe. The first route was with a 15-seat Bandeirante aircraft that flew from Waterford, Ireland to London Gatwick, England.