Other bidding contenders, most notably the aeronautical giants BAE systems and Boeing, were shunned after the Ministry of Defence said that the budget airline offered superior value for money.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said they would be responsible for the transportation of soldiers and provide aircraft for the RAF.
He said, “Ryanair is delighted with the arrangements with the MOD, which includes but is not limited to the transportation of thousands of British troops into future warzones. Also, we shall provide our well-maintained Boeing 737’s as a direct replacement for the retired Nimrod R1 spy plane. This state-of-the-art 185-seater plane will be at full capacity and provide forces on the air and ground with real-time intelligence from the scene.
The spokesperson also revealed that Ryanair is collaborating with the Ministry of Defence to help mitigate incoming military redundancies, which will see 31,000 military personnel lose their jobs by 2020.
He said, “This potential redundancy programme will see hundreds of our highly trained cabin crew members temporarily boost numbers by working side-by-side with the military by supporting future combat operations. It is designed to safeguard against any crucial skills that may be lost.”
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, hailed the contractual agreement as a success proving that the government is upholding British military capability.
He said, “This arrangement ensures that despite deep austerity our military remains a first-class player in an increasingly unstable world. Ryanair has a proven track record of happily getting millions of Brits abroad in hectic conditions. Therefore, they are the perfect choice when rapid deployment of British soldiers is needed to maintain world peace and protect democratic values.”
The news comes a day after it was announced that military apparel, including body armour, boots and night vision goggles, was to be manufactured by sports clothing company Adidas.
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