The Dutch tour operator Sunweb Group will cooperate with the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair and the Latvian airline Air Baltic in order to expand its range of package holidays.
The agreement allows Sunweb customers to book trips departing from the Belgian airports of Brussels-Charleroi and Liège. While flights from Charleroi will be operated by Ryanair, flights from Liège will be served in cooperation with Air Baltic. These new partnerships complement the tour operator's existing offerings, which already include collaborations with airlines such as Brussels Airlines and Transavia.
Sunweb's business model is based on foregoing its own aircraft fleet. Instead, the company relies on capacity from third-party providers, which, according to management, contributes to greater operational flexibility and lower fixed costs. This allows the tour operator to react more quickly to fluctuations in market demand. The cooperation with Ryanair has already been integrated into the booking portfolio for summer and winter trips. According to the company, initial booking figures are exceeding internal expectations; however, specific financial details or booking volumes have not been released.
Industry analysts view the alliance with Ryanair with some skepticism. The Irish airline has repeatedly taken legal action against online travel agencies and tour operators in the past to prevent the resale of its tickets by third parties, before recently entering into official partnerships. For the tour operator, dependence on external low-cost carriers poses significant risks. In the event of strikes, last-minute flight cancellations, or changes to Ryanair's strict hand baggage regulations, the tour operator bears full liability and is obligated to compensate or rebook holidaymakers, according to European package travel directives.