Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has reached an "agreement in principle" with Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) wherein the Irish LCC will provide regional feeder traffic into Norwegian's longhaul operations out of London Gatwick CEO Michael O'Leary has said.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, O'Leary said the two budget airlines have already begun working on aligning their booking systems ahead of the project's launch this year. Other hubs slated for cooperation include Copenhagen Kastrup.

Ryanair connects Alicante, Belfast International, Cork, Dublin International, Kaunas International, Sevilla, and Shannon with the London gateway while Norwegian's longhaul services from there include flights to Boston, Fort Lauderdale International, Los Angeles International, New York JFK, Oakland International, Orlando International, and San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin.

Talks over similar proposals with other carriers including Aer Lingus (EI, Dublin International), Virgin Atlantic (VS, London Heathrow), TAP Portugal (Lisbon) and an undisclosed US airline, have taken place in recent months. Those with Virgin and Aer Lingus have, however, ended.

Later this summer, Ryanair will also begin trialling hub-and-spoke operations across its own networks from its Barcelona El Prat and London Stansted bases.