Ryanair, which has opened a base in Lisbon, its third Portugal, expects to carry five million passengers this year, up 16% on 2013.
After outspoken boss Michael O’Leary decided to stop antagonising both passengers and the world’s press, this welcomed comment is from Kenny Jacobs who now is in charge of issuing interesting snippets to the media, and marketing.
"We are growing, which is good, and we will certainly continue to grow," said Jacobs.
His statement was crisp and clear, without edge and with a suitable degree of gravitas. The new Ryanair is confident in the success of the operations from its Lisbon base, and estimates that from its 11 routes operating out of Lisbon the airline can generate an annual flow of 900,000 passengers, which will support nearly 900 jobs at the airport.
Passenger numbers to Brussels, Frankfurt, London and Paris are going well, and the new destinations to Dole* and Marseilles in France, Manchester, Dublin, and Piza.
The airline is still running its 10 weekly flights between Lisbon and Oporto and its 14 flights a week between Lisbon and Faro, a route that has awakened the slumbering giant in Portugal's transport network, the railway company which has been shaken enough to publicise its route and price information on an unsuspecting public.
Kenny Jacobs was asked by media what the deal was in Lisbon with French-owned airports operator ANA. O’Riley's negotiating start point was that Ryanair should pay nothing to the operator in return for bringing lots of lovely customers who would spend money in ANA’s airports. Even the French are not so stupid as to fall for that one, but Jacobs declined to detail the agreement with ANA, diplomatically saying it was "good for both parties."
Jacobs, clearly a marketing man through and through, added that Ryanair has some new features for its passengers, including the ability to carry a small second item of hand luggage free of charge, a new website, and a loyalty programmes aimed at families and businesses - it's a start. Should he be able to change the in-flight announcements by setting them to mute, Ryanair’s future would look rosier.
The reality of last year’s two profit warnings and increasingly aggressive competition means Ryanair has had to change its arrogant stance, muffle O'Leary and bring on Jacobs.
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*Dole is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, of which it is a subprefecture. Pop. 25,000
