A passenger jet flying for Ryanair mistakenly landed at Ballykelly Army airstrip instead of at its intended destination of City of Derry Airport, six miles away. The Liverpool-to-Londonderry flight, operated by Eirjet on behalf of the Irish LCC, landed at the wrong airport due to an “error by the Eirjet pilot who mistakenly believed he was on a visual approach to City of Derry airport,” according to a Ryanair statement. Army officers and passengers aboard the Eirjet A320 were reportedly dumbfounded by the mistake. “The pilot apologised and said, 'We may have arrived at the wrong airport,'” said one passenger. “Everyone started laughing and thought it was a joke, then I saw for myself when I looked out and saw Army officers everywhere.”

“It was just unbelievable, I think the Army officers were shocked themselves (as) they were taking photographs,” the passenger added. “It was surreal.”

This is Wickipedia's entry for our friends Ryanair: Ryanair is an airline based in Ireland. It is Europe's largest low-cost carrier, operating 270 low-fare routes to 21 European countries. Over the years it has evolved into the world's most profitable airline , running at remarkable margins by relentlessly driving down costs. Ryanair has been characterised by rapid and continuing expansion, enabled by the deregulation of the air industry in Europe in 1997. Ryanair is one of Europe's most controversial companies, praised and criticised in equal measure. Its supporters praise its commitment to exceptionally low fares, its radical management, its populism, and its willingness to challenge what Ryanair calls the 'establishment' within the airline industry (similar to its American counterpart, Southwest Airlines). Critics, meanwhile, have attacked its trade union policies, and have charged that it practices deceptive advertising.

Some recent statistics show Ryanair coming top of the table. However, see this for some less favourable comments.

Source: AEA member statistics Jan – Dec 2005 compared to Ryanair and Easyjet statistics Jan – Dec 2005.