Christopher Ryan

Christopher Ryan (12 December 1936 – 14 March 2007) was an Irish aviation executive. Ryan was a co-founder of Ryanair, Ireland’s first low-fare airline, and served as its first managing director during the company’s establishment, playing a pivotal role in the early years of Ryanair's development.

Christy Ryan was a colleague and close friend of Tony Ryan, another businessman involved with Ryanair's creation, along with Liam Lonergan, owner of a travel agency. Despite sharing the same surname they were not related.

Early career at Aer Lingus Christy Ryan was born in 1936 and grew up in Kilsheelan, County Tipperary, around 40 km from Waterford. His first job in 1956, after leaving school, was with Aer Lingus at Shannon Airport, where he was employed as a traffic assistant. At the time Shannon Airport was an important hub for transatlantic aviation, and Aer Lingus ran its North Atlantic services from there.

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