Ryanair rejects reports of Copenhagen 'virtual' base

Ryanair (FR, Dublin Int'l) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael O'Leary has denied reports his airline is planning to establish a 'virtual' base at Copenhagen Kastrup to cope with a surge in demand expected during the summer 2016 season. 

The Irish LCC was forced to close both its Copenhagen and Billund bases during the previous quarter after it rejected a Danish labour court's ruling directing it to employ locally-based staff under Danish, and not Irish, work contracts.

While Ryanair has managed to maintain connectivity to both Danish cities albeit using aircraft based at other airports, reports in the local media have suggested it may attempt to develop a virtual base in Copenhagen akin to Marseilles wherein four B737-800s operate out of the airport but for only eight months of the year - March to October. According to check-in.dk, Ryanair's Marseilles 'base' employs so-called "floating pilots" that can be deployed throughout the route network as and when required. Staff are also housed in hotels for the brief periods they work in the southern French city.

However, O'Leary has rejected such a proposal for its Danish operations stating it would be too expensive to house staff in Copenhagen hotels as legacy operators tend to do.

"No. It is too expensive, and I do not want to have the same high ticket prices as those of regular network carriers," he said. 

Despite the recent negative publicity, O'Leary said Ryanair had experienced its best ever August in Copenhagen with roughly 55,000 travellers using the airline to fly in and out of the Danish capital.

During the 2016 summer season, Ryanair expects to connect Copenhagen with: Alicante, Bologna,Brussels Charleroi, Budapest, Cologne/Bonn, Dublin Int'l, Edinburgh, Kaunas, London Luton, Madrid Barajas, Malaga, Porto, Milan Orio al Serio, Rome Ciampino, and Stockholm Skavsta.