Ryanair Has Applied For CDG, Orly Slots

Ryanair has applied for slots at Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and is willing to cooperate with long-haul airlines, according to a newspaper report.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told French financial daily Les Echos the new slots, if approved, would not be at the expense of Beauvais airport north of Paris and added that Ryanair also has projects at Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and several other French airports.

"For now it is not a matter of opening new bases there but new lines," he was quoted as saying.

Asked about cooperation with other airlines, O'Leary said Ryanair wants to develop its presence at major airports to capture new customers and because big airports are inviting Ryanair to come.

"It would be perfectly logical for long-haul airlines like Air France to ask for our help to reduce their losses on short-haul flights," he said, adding that Ryanair flights could feed Air France at CDG, IAG flights at Gatwick or Lufthansa flights in Berlin.

"We have already had discussions about this topic with IAG, TAP, Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic, Norwegian. I think we will be able to announce a few deals next summer," O'Leary said