Interview: Ryanair’s CEO on Trans-Atlantic Service, In-Flight Wi-Fi and Unbundling

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary addressed the press in Copenhagen yesterday to announce 15 new routes to Europe out of the Danish capital, despite the airline's ongoing dispute with Danish labor unions, which forced Ryanair to close its bases in at Copenhagen and Billund airports. Skift met with O'Leary in Copenhagen to discuss the airline's evolution as it turns 30, and the challenges ahead for the next 30 years. First, we got to the burning question of when (or whether) Ryanair will cross the pond. Skift: You've got WestJet now making inroads across the Atlantic to Europe, with planned flights to London, WOW Air using Reykjavik as a bridge to the Americas, but your previous announcement of transatlantic service was later retracted. When are we going to see Ryanair make that bridge? O'Leary: Not for at least four or five years, because we can't find a fleet of long-haul aircraft at low prices. Skift: Boeing's not doing something with the Dreamliner? O'Leary: Boeing's