Ryanair has selected a small airport 60 miles west of Frankfurt as its fourth European hub.

Frankfurt Hahn airport, which was a little used former US airbase until 1998, is to become Ryanair's second continental European base after Charleroi in Brussels. The other hubs are Stansted and Glasgow.

The company has signed a 20-year deal that will result in the creation of 200 new jobs at Frankfurt Hahn airport and make it home to at least three of Ryanair's newest aircraft.

Under the terms of the deal, Ryanair has promised that from next February it will deliver 1.5 million passengers to the airport within the first 12 months.

The low-cost airline will operate more than 30 flights daily from Frankfurt on 10 European routes from February 14th.

Speaking at Frankfurt Hahn airport yesterday, Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary praised the enthusiasm with which the new airport entered into business with Ryanair.

"What makes Frankfurt Hahn different is that everything they said they would do from day one they have delivered on," he said.

He strongly criticised the Irish Government over what he said was a missed opportunity: "This new German base means that four more aircraft, 200 new jobs and over one million tourists have again been lost to Ireland by the high-cost Aer Rianta monopoly."

Ryanair's investment at Frankfurt Hahn is expected to reach around $225 million (€255 million) in the first 12 months.