Ryanair boss attacks Dublin costs

Jul 16 2008 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

RYANAIR is slashing passenger numbers by around 500,000 out of Dublin Airport this winter, but the cuts are unlikely to include flights to and from Liverpool.

The budget airline said it was reducing its weekly routes from the Irish capital by around 12% on the same season last year, blaming the high oil price and costs at Dublin, which it says is its second most expensive base.

The decision will see 18 Ryanair planes operating from the facility compared with 22 last year.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary said he had asked the Dublin Airport Authority for a reduction in costs but had been turned down.

He added: “It will be the first time for many years that Ryanair has reduced capacity at Dublin Airport.

“However, the combination of Dublin's high costs, unjustified cost increases and a hopeless Aviation Regulator who has most recently rubberstamped doubling charging for check-in desks and check-in kiosks, makes it more profitable for Ryanair to ground these aircraft rather than fly them at Dublin Airport this winter.

"These flights and 500,000 passengers would not be lost to Dublin or Irish tourism if the DAA monopoly had responded to Ryanair's proposals for discounts on these flights for the winter season.

“Like all monopolies, the DAA has no concern for its customers, which is why Ryanair's offers were dismissed out of hand.”

Mr O’Leary said the combination of factors would end traffic growth at Dublin Airport. He has long been critical of Dublin Airport Authority’s planned £320m second terminal, which he claims is funded by price hikes being passed on to airlines and passengers.

He has called for a low-cost competing terminal to be built instead.

However, a DAA spokeswoman hit back: “The DAA finds it ironic that Ryanair, the so-called champion of competition, complains publicly when its request for anti-competitive support mechanisms are justly declined.”

The cutbacks will include a 14% reduction in flights to London Stansted and almost a third (31%) fewer flights to Leeds Bradford, while the airline's seven weekly winter flights between Dublin and Warsaw are being scrapped.

However, the route between Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) and Dublin, one of the airlines most popular routes, is likely to keep its three-times-a-day frequency.

Ryanair is the biggest airline at JLA, with flights to more than 40 European destinations.

tonymcdonough