Airlines

Irish budget carrier Ryanair will consider adding destinations in Russia to its network if the country enters a bilateral air services agreement with the European Union (EU).

St Petersburg and other Russian cities would be a “natural extension” to the carrier’s network, Ryanair director of new route development Bernard Berger said yesterday at the World Low-Cost Airlines Congress in London.

“If Russia becomes available, there are many possible destinations [for Ryanair],” says Berger, adding that any future foray into the Russian market for the carrier “would depend on airport costs”.

Ryanair is also open to adding more longer-distance routes to its network following the announcement of flights to Malta and Morocco, says Berger.

However, generally speaking, the carrier prefers to keep flights “as short as possible” and its average sector length over the coming years will not greatly increase, he adds.