Austrian Airlines vs Ryanair: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Austrian Airlines and Ryanair side by side

1. 1957Austrian Airlines

   Austrian Airlines Formed in Vienna

   Air Austria and Austrian New Airways merge on September 30, 1957 to form the national flag carrier.

2. 1958Austrian Airlines

   Inaugural Commercial Flight to London

   Operates inaugural scheduled flight from Vienna to London via Frankfurt in a Vickers Viscount 779.

3. 1963Austrian Airlines

   Entry into Jet Age with Sud Caravelle

   Takes delivery of its first jet airliner, the French Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R.

4. 1969Austrian Airlines

   First Transatlantic Route to New York

   Launches scheduled transatlantic service connecting Vienna to New York via Brussels.

5. 1984Ryanair

   Ryanair Founded in Dublin

   Tony Ryan, Liam Lonergan, and Christopher Ryan establish Ryanair to provide regional flights from Ireland.

6. 1985Ryanair

   First Daily Flight from Waterford to Gatwick

   Operates inaugural scheduled flight with a 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante turboprop.

7. 1986Ryanair

   Breaks London-Dublin Air Duopoly

   Launches £99 fare between Dublin and Luton, breaking the high-fare monopoly of British Airways and Aer Lingus.

8. 1988Austrian Airlines

   Initial Public Offering on Vienna Stock Exchange

   Lists shares publicly on the Vienna Stock Exchange to finance Douglas MD-80 and Airbus fleet expansion.

9. 1990Ryanair

   Michael O'Leary Reinvents Low-Cost Model

   Restructures airline into Europe's first low-cost carrier, adapting the Southwest Airlines operating model.

10. 1994Ryanair

    Michael O'Leary Named Chief Executive

    O'Leary becomes CEO, standardizing fleet on Boeing 737s and pioneering secondary airport expansion.

11. 1997Ryanair

    Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ and ISE

    Floats on stock markets, raising capital to order 45 new Boeing 737-800 jets as EU skies deregulate.

12. 2000Austrian Airlines

    Joining the Star Alliance Network

    Officially joins Star Alliance, linking Austrian Airlines into the world's largest airline network.

13. 2000Ryanair

    Launch of Ryanair.com Direct Booking Website

    Launches direct online booking portal, bypassing travel agent booking fees and revolutionizing e-commerce.

14. 2005Ryanair

    Overtakes British Airways in Passenger Volume

    Carries more international passengers in a single month than British Airways, cementing low-cost ascendancy.

15. 2007Austrian Airlines

    Partnership with Gourmet Caterer DO & CO

    Partners with luxury caterer DO & CO, establishing flying chefs and Viennese coffee house service.

16. 2009Austrian Airlines

    Acquisition by Deutsche Lufthansa AG

    Lufthansa Group acquires Austrian Airlines for €166M, establishing Vienna as the group's East-West hub.

17. 2012Austrian Airlines

    Operational Restructuring to Tyrolean Airways

    Temporarily transfers flight operations to subsidiary Tyrolean Airways to achieve competitive labor cost structures.

18. 2013Ryanair

    Launch of 'Always Getting Better' Customer Program

    Softens customer experience policies, introducing allocated seating, smaller carry-on bags, and mobile app boarding.

19. 2018Ryanair

    Creation of Ryanair Holdings Group Structure

    Forms holding company structure with four distinct airline operating units: Ryanair DAC, Buzz, Lauda, and Malta Air.

20. 2020Austrian Airlines

    COVID-19 Government Support & Early Repayment

    Secures emergency state loan package during the pandemic, subsequently repaying all loans ahead of schedule.

21. 2021Ryanair

    First Boeing 737-8200 'Gamechanger' Deliveries

    Takes delivery of custom 197-seat Gamechanger aircraft, cutting fuel consumption and emissions by 16%.

22. 2022Austrian Airlines

    Annette Mann Appointed Chief Executive Officer

    Lufthansa Group executive Annette Mann assumes CEO role, driving post-pandemic turnaround and fleet renewal.

23. 2022Austrian Airlines

    Delivery of First Airbus A320neo

    Takes delivery of modern, fuel-efficient Airbus A320neo aircraft for European short-haul network.

24. 2023Ryanair

    Landmark Order for up to 300 Boeing 737-MAX-10s

    Places massive $40B list-price order for up to 300 Boeing 737-MAX-10 aircraft to reach 300M passengers.

25. 2024Austrian Airlines

    Debut of Flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

    Inducts first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners into long-haul service, inaugurating direct flights to Boston and New York.

26. 2024Austrian Airlines

    Annual Revenue Reaches €2.45B ($2.65B)

    Delivers €127M adjusted EBIT, carrying over 13.9 million passengers across 125 destinations.

27. 2024Ryanair

    Annual Passengers Reach Record 184 Million

    Achieves record traffic across 230+ airports, delivering €1.92B in net profit on €13.44B in revenues.

28. 2024Ryanair

    Initiates Regular Maiden Ordinary Dividend

    Declares first ordinary shareholder dividend, returning hundreds of millions in excess cash flow.

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