Irish group Ryanair, the largest low-cost airline in Europe, will enter the domestic flights segment and wants to become market leader in Romania in five years.

Its competitors will include state-owned airline Tarom, as well as the low cost airline Blue Air which has resumed the Bucharest-Iasi route this summer.

Ryanair wants to have 10 million passengers in Romania in the next five years, reports local Ziarul Financiar.

In Poland, the airline operates on 12 airports and has 4 bases. The activity in Romania should be similar to the one in Poland in the next years, said Michael O’Leary, Ryanair CEO.

“I am expecting to have 4-5 bases in the next five years and fly to and from 10-12 airports in the country,” he added.

The company is currently a small player on the local market. Last year, it transported 200,000 passengers, whereas Wizz Air, which is the market leader, transported last year 3.9 million passengers.

editor@romania-insider.com