COPENHAGEN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, is in talks to open 10 routes from Copenhagen's Kastrup airport, its chief executive told Danish daily Jyllands-Posten.
'We are talking to Copenhagen about the possibility of opening with 10 routes. We could easily get up to 10 million passengers in two or three years,' Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary was quoted by the paper as saying on Monday.
O'Leary said his company is also in talks with other hubs that want to share in the airline's growth but that Copenhagen 'is doing a good job'.
O'Leary said that Ryanair had demanded lower handling fees and shorter turnaround times from Copenhagen Airports.
'If we get that, we will be able to open this summer. But the decision is Copenhagen Airports', not ours,' he said.
Ryanair is quickly expanding its European network to take advantage of consumers trading down from full-service carriers as the recession bites.
Copenhagen is the hub of Scandinavian airline SAS, which last week said it wanted to raise $720 million in new capital and launched a brutal new savings drive as it intensified efforts to ride out the global downturn.
The airport was hit in October last year when low-cost carrier Sterling, which accounted for about 10 percent of total traffic, declared itself bankrupt.
Australia's Macquarie Airports, which made a bid for Copenhagen Airports in 2005, owns about 53 percent of the company while the Danish state hold some 39 percent.
(Reporting by Kim McLaughlin; editing by John Stonestreet) (kim.mclaughlin@thomsonreuters.com ; +45 33 96 96 49; Reuters Messaging: kim.mclaughlin.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'We are talking to Copenhagen about the possibility of opening with 10 routes. We could easily get up to 10 million passengers in two or three years,' Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary was quoted by the paper as saying on Monday.
O'Leary said his company is also in talks with other hubs that want to share in the airline's growth but that Copenhagen 'is doing a good job'.
O'Leary said that Ryanair had demanded lower handling fees and shorter turnaround times from Copenhagen Airports.
'If we get that, we will be able to open this summer. But the decision is Copenhagen Airports', not ours,' he said.
Ryanair is quickly expanding its European network to take advantage of consumers trading down from full-service carriers as the recession bites.
Copenhagen is the hub of Scandinavian airline SAS, which last week said it wanted to raise $720 million in new capital and launched a brutal new savings drive as it intensified efforts to ride out the global downturn.
The airport was hit in October last year when low-cost carrier Sterling, which accounted for about 10 percent of total traffic, declared itself bankrupt.
Australia's Macquarie Airports, which made a bid for Copenhagen Airports in 2005, owns about 53 percent of the company while the Danish state hold some 39 percent.
(Reporting by Kim McLaughlin; editing by John Stonestreet) (kim.mclaughlin@thomsonreuters.com ; +45 33 96 96 49; Reuters Messaging: kim.mclaughlin.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.