Ryanair returns to GDS

Ryanair has announced a return to GDS for the first time in a decade.

The low-cost carrier, which has previously been vocal about not wanting to work with travel agents, has signed an agreement to have its content made available to travel agents using Travelport systems.

Ryanair fares will first appear on Travelport’s GDS from 19 March with its products and services to be rolled out in phases, using the Travelport Merchandising Platform to show content through API instead of the traditional methods used by legacy carriers.

The low-cost carrier is also using a branded product offering so its content appears similarly to its website.

“This partnership with Travelport is a significant development for Ryanair and for businesses across Europe and beyond as we continue to evolve our business offering. As Europe’s largest airline, we’ll carry over 81.5m customers this year on the largest route network, connecting 186 airports in 30 countries,” said Ryanair’s chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs. “More than 22% of these customers already choose Ryanair for business travel and we expect that percentage to grow as this partnership allows corporate travel departments, travel management companies and businesses even greater access to Ryanair’s low fares and routes, ensuring they save millions of euro in travel expenses every year.”

Simon Ferguson, Travelport’s regional director, UK & Ireland, said: “This is a hugely important partnership for travel agencies in the UK & Ireland, and we are delighted to be providing them with fares and ancillaries from one of the highest profile low cost carriers in the world and a very important one in this region. Ryanair has fully embraced what we can uniquely offer through our industry-leading technology and we look forward to working exclusively with the Ryanair team over the coming months to help them reach new travellers whilst providing more in-demand, low cost air content to our UK travel agency and tour operator customers.