Jeans ready for Ryanair battle

MYTRAVELLITE boss Tim Jeans is going head-to-head with his former employer Ryanair on the Birmingham to Dublin route.

The former Ryanair sales and marketing director’s new airline will launch a double-daily service from the end of September – prompting a war of words between the two carriers.

Ryanair has cut one-way fares to just 50p, with MyTravelLite responding by offering flights for free.

Jeans said: “Fundamentally Ryanair and Aer Lingus have got complacent. Ryanair is offering half the number of flights it did from Birmingham five years ago and its fare levels have crept up to the same levels it complained Aer Lingus used to offer.”

Jeans added he was looking forward to the challenge. He said: “The great thing about competing with Ryanair is it’s a bit like fishing for mackerel. They can’t help jumping on the hook.” 

A Ryanair spokesman said: “Ryanair welcomes competition. This is not the first time an airline had announced a Dublin route and it won’t be the last.”

MyTravelLite will pull its Amsterdam service to accommodate the new Dublin route.

Meanwhile, Ryanair is launching new services from Glasgow Prestwick to Gothenburg and Bournemouth to Barcelona-Girona from October.