Ryanair has option to buy all of Laudamotion

Ryanair has agreed an option with Niki Lauda that could see it take full ownership of the Laudamotion leisure airline in four years, the company said Wednesday. The carrier is waiting for European regulatory approval to take a 75% stake in the re-branded former Niki airline, the remains of which the former Formula One star bought out of insolvency earlier this year. Ryanair agreed in March to take a 24.9% stake in the Austrian carrier and said it planned to raise that to 75% as soon as possible. Lauda and Ryanair also agreed an option that allows the Irish carrier to buy the rest of Laudamotion as well, a Ryanair spokeswoman said. CE Michael O'Leary said he would have to pay a "weirdly high price" if he decided to do so. <br/>