Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost airline multinational group headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. The parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, includes subsidiaries Ryanair DACTooltip Designated activity company, Malta Air, Buzz, Lauda Europe and Ryanair UK. As of 2024, Ryanair is the largest airline in Europe, based on annual passengers, fleet size, and number of flights. Ryanair DAC, the oldest airline of the group, was founded in 1984. Ryanair Holdings was established in 1996 as a holding company for Ryanair with the two companies having the same board of directors and executive officers. In 2019, the transition began from the airline Ryanair and its subsidiaries into separate sister airlines under the holding company. Later in 2019, Malta Air joined Ryanair Holdings.
Ryanair has been characterised by its rapid expansion, a result of the deregulation of the aviation industry in Europe in 1997 and the success of its low-cost business model. The group operates more than 600 planes. Its route network serves over 40 countries in Europe, North Africa (Morocco) and the Middle East (Jordan and Turkey). The primary operational bases are at Dublin, London Stansted and Milan Bergamo airports. Ryanair is Ireland's biggest airline, and in 2016, became the world's largest airline by scheduled international passengers. Almost all aircraft in the group's fleet are Boeing 737s.
