Going steerage on Ryanair: cultures of migrant air travel between Poland and the UK

One of the most high profile migration movements to the UK in recent years has undoubtedly been that of A8, and mainly Polish, newcomers following the 2004 expansion of the EU. Accompanying, and perhaps fuelling, this increase in mobility has been a substantial rise in low cost air travel provision. The UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Office of the Republic of Poland statistics testify to the expansion in passenger numbers between Poland and the UK since 2004, with Ryanair being one of the main carriers. Although other modes of transport, such as coach and car travel, are still important, in some senses these Ryanair flights define this new migration. Taking as a starting point that airports and airplanes are social and cultural venues in their own right, and that migration journeys are themselves at the heart of the migration experience, this article uses interviews with Polish migrants in the UK to consider this low cost air travel for migration in more depth. Firstly it briefly charts the increase in air travel between Poland and the UK, considering the narratives of mobility cultures collected with the migrants. Secondly it investigates the collective dimension of travelling for migration on these flights and the tensions which emerge around this collectivity. Finally, it reflects on the wider costs and contexts of low cost shuttle flights as a late capitalist mode of migration transport.

Research highlights
► Low cost air travel has been an integral feature of Polish migration to the UK.
► Low cost flights create particular cultures of migration.
► Flying exposes migrants to each other with important social implications.
► Despite the convenience experiences of low cost air travel can be negative.