Ryanair has announced its immediate withdrawal from the race to secure Alitalia following recent serious disruptions to its operations.

The Irish LCC said in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 27, that in order to fully rectify the chaos caused by the re-rostering of flight crews’ leave, it had decided to remove all distractions to management starting with its interest in the bankrupt Italian carrier.

“We have notified the Alitalia bankruptcy Commissioners that we will not be pursuing our interest in Alitalia or submitting any further offers for the airline,” it said.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary had earlier stated his airline’s binding offer would have focused on the operation of ninety of Alitalia’s leased Airbus aircraft while retaining the Italian carrier’s brand.