Trust Ryanair not to miss a trick. The airline is taking advantage of other airlines' difficulties by trying to buy second-hand Boeing 737s at knockdown prices. This week, Ryanair put a full-page ad into the airline industry bible Flight International looking to buy up to 50 737s.

Ryanair didn't indicate how much it was willing to pay for the aircraft but, given the way the airline squeezes the airports it uses, any cash-strapped airline looking to cash in on surplus aircraft by selling to Ryanair will have a hard bargain driven by Michael O'Leary.