Academic Paper from the year 2018 in the subject Business economics - Company formation, Business Plans, grade: 78.00, , course: LRPM, language: English, abstract: This report seeks to develop a strategic plan for Ryanair to enable it gain a competitive advantage, and sustain its growth in the midst of emerging and unique challenges in the operational environment.Ryanair was established in 1985 by Tony Ryan, Liam Lonergan, and Christopher Ryan. Initially, the flight started with a small carrying capacity but gradually expanded following the development of conducive operational environment. In particular, Ryanair experienced tremendous growth in 1992, following the deregulation of the airline industry in the EU. This company seized the opportunity to expand and overtook the British Airways and Aer Lingus in 1995. Ryanair also exploited the technological advancements in 2000 by launching a website and ensured more than three quarters of its bookings were made via the company’s website. Nonetheless, Ryanair recorded a significant degree of financial losses in 2003 for the first time in a decade. This was followed by quick interventions which saw Ryanair explore new routes especially in the Eastern Europe. Notably, Ryanair’s growth has been impressive over the last few decades, especially between 1985 and 2011. However, the airline company has experienced turbulent forces in the last few decades as illustrated by financial losses reported in 2003, and recently in 2009.