150,000 Belgian Seats Sold
Ryanair Holdings PLC
13 December 2002
OVER 150,000 SEATS SOLD BY RYANAIR TO BELGIAN CONSUMERS AND VISITORS AT JUST
€9.99
Ryanair today announced that over 150,000 seats had been sold to Belgian
consumers and visitors over the past two days in response to Ryanair's record
low fare seat sale on its 10 routes to/from Brussels Charleroi. The two day seat
sale which was launched in response to the EU Commission's decision to
investigate Ryanair's successful partnership with Brussels Charleroi Airport and
yet again demonstrates the enormous customer and consumer support for both
Ryanair and Brussels Charleroi Airport, and indicates just how out of touch the
EU Commission was in launching its politically motivated 'investigation' this
week.
Ryanair confirmed that it had (last March and April) provided the Commission
with evidence that its low cost base at Brussels Charleroi, which was negotiated
in accordance with the 'private investor' principle, was not exclusive to
Ryanair and was open to anyone else who wishes to invest in Brussels Charleroi
on a like for like basis. Ryanair has heard nothing from the Commission since
last April until this week's surprise announcement of this formal investigation.
Commenting of the success of the seat sale, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael
O'Leary said;
'We are delighted with the public response to this latest seat sale
initiative. Ryanair and Brussels Charleroi Airport have been the
champions of low fares choice and bringing the cost of air travel within
the budget of ordinary consumers and not just the rich.
'It would seem that the European Commission, in its politically
motivated decision to investigate Ryanair's cost base a Brussels
Charleroi would rather turn the clock back to a day when Belgian
consumers and Belgian tourism suffered under the yolk of high fares and
high costs, in order that Ryanair's complaining competitors can preserve
their high fare operations.
'Ryanair will continue to fight for low fares in Europe. We remain
confident that the politically motivated investigation launched by the
Commission this week will ultimately confirm that Ryanair's low cost
base at Brussels Charleroi is not in breach of State aid rules and we
hope that Commissioner de Palacio will move quickly to expedite this
investigation and allow Ryanair to get on with the process of rolling
out competition, consumer choice and low fares all over Europe'.
Ryanair has written to Commissioner de Palacio seeking an urgent meeting to
address and resolve any concerns that the Commission may have about Ryanair's
successful low fare operations at Brussels Charleroi.
Ends.
For further information
please contact: Michael O'Leary Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Murray Consultants
Tel. +353-1-8121212 Tel. +353-1-4980300
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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