Irish budget airline Ryanair began operations in July 1985. From a single turboprop to a fleet of 273 aircraft, Thomas Haynes details its sometimes-controversial history and meteoric rise to the top.
On July 8 1985, an unknown airline began flying – with an unusual feature. They were operating a single 15-seat Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante turboprop between Waterford in Ireland and London/Gatwick, but the size of the aircraft had demanded a somewhat unorthodox approach to cabin crew recruitment.
