Ryanair has its own private jet – and it’s yours to rent for £5,000 an hour

It isn't an airline passengers normally associated with luxury, but Ryanair has announced that its own private jet is back in service to dispel the winter blues.

Ryanair's corporate Boeing 737-700 is back in action for the winter season and now available for group hire – for £5,000 an hour, on top of taxes fees and charges.

The private jet, which has been used by Champions League football teams, is available for mid to long-haul routes and is fitted with 60 business class, leather reclining seats.

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “We are pleased to announce that our B737 corporate jet is again available for the winter season. It has enjoyed great demand since we first launched it in February 2016, as it seats up to 60 passengers, in business class, reclining, leather seats and is crewed by Ryanair’s industry leading pilot and cabin crew professionals.

"In this past year, the Ryanair corporate jet was booked by many prestigious clients from Champions League soccer teams to world famous pop stars, who enjoyed an unbeatable Ryanair corporate jet service and excellent rates.”

Last month Ryanair saw an 11 per cent increase in traffic to 13.1m passengers.

The total includes 500,000 passengers from Lauda, the airline founded by former Formula One champion Niki Lauda and recently acquired by Ryanair.