By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News Business Desk ©
Tuesday, 8 July 2025 | Dublin
Ryanair celebrates a major milestone on Tuesday, July 8th, 2025, marking 40 years since its first flight took off from Waterford Airport bound for London Gatwick.”
The inaugural journey, which took place on Monday, July 8th, 1985, marked the humble beginnings of what would become one of Europe’s largest and most influential low-cost carriers.
The flight came three years after Waterford’s newly built airport was granted a licence for international operations.
In 1982, the then Department of Transport and Power sanctioned the licence, opening the door to commercial international traffic at the regional facility.
Despite its historic significance, Ryanair’s potential return to Waterford Airport remains uncertain. Earlier this year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary appeared to cast doubt on the airline resuming operations there, describing local efforts to secure public funding for infrastructure as being driven by “local lunatics who are determined to get a government grant to build a jet runway.”
However, O’Leary later softened his remarks, acknowledging that Ryanair might consider operating “one or two flights a day” to London—provided the runway is extended and a cost-effective base is developed.
The Department of Transport has since requested a second business case to assess the viability and potential economic impact of providing government support for the proposed runway extension.
The debate over Waterford Airport’s future underscores ongoing tensions between regional development advocates and Ryanair’s strict low-cost operating model. As the airline marks four decades in the skies, the fate of its birthplace remains uncertain.
Source: M10News Business Desk | Editing by M10News Editorial Team
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