In September Ryanair was headline news and in crisis, having had to cancel many thousands of flights at very short notice. By offering extremely low fares to flyers, the company has become one of the world's biggest and most profitable airlines. Matthew Gwyther traces Ryanair's history and explores how its business model differs from its competitors. Has Ryanair suffered reputational damage since September or will its passengers stick with the company no matter what? And has a change of direction now been forced on Ryanair?

Producer: Rosamund Jones

Photo: A Ryanair plane lands at Dublin Airport