MICHAEL O’LEARY, chief executive of Ryanair, said in an interview with the Sunday Independent yesterday that a partnership between Ryanair and Google will “blow comparison sites like Skyscanner out of the water”.

The company acknowledged to TheJournal.ie today that it is working on a project with the search engine but was tight-lipped about what it could potentially mean for customers.

“We confirm the article is correct, we have a policy of not engaging in speculation or commenting on commercially sensitive issues and we will not be making any further comment at this stage,” it said in a statement.

Speaking to the Sunday newspaper, O’Leary said that the work they are doing together will change how consumers buy their airline tickets in the future adding that “in five years’ time, everyone on Ryanair will be paying on their mobile”.

The new price-comparison tool that Google is developing in conjunction with the low-cost airline will blow other comparison sites “out of the water,” he said.

Additional reporting by Sinéad O’Carroll

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