Ryanair Calls for 30% Cut in Dublin Airport's H...
RYANAIR CALLS FOR 30% CUT IN DUBLIN AIRPORT'S
HIGH FEES (AND THE SCRAPPING OF THE ¤10 TRAVEL TAX) TO REVERSE
TRAFFIC DECLINES
Ryanair today (Friday, 30th January 2009) called on the Government
owned DAA monopoly to cut airport charges by 30% - thereby reversing
the price increases imposed on airlines and passengers over the past
3 years. These unjustified price increases from carparks to check-in
desks, to the treble charging for kiosks have created a wave of route
closures and airline departures from high cost Dublin Airport, as
competitor airports across the UK and Europe lower their charges,
leaving Dublin Airport uncompetitive and out of touch.
Dublin Airport's traffic declined by 9% in December and is now in
freefall. The DAA's attempt to blame this on fuel surcharges is
absurd, when very few passengers at Dublin pay fuel surcharges. This
traffic collapse will accelerate next April when the Government's new
¤10 travel tax is introduced. At a time when the Irish Government is
looking for ways to stimulate economic activity and job creation, the
DAA's policy of imposing inflation busting price increases, building
inefficient and over-specified facilities and delivering perhaps the
worst airport service in Europe, continues to damage Irish traffic
and Ireland's reputation abroad.
Speaking today, Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said:
"Ryanair and other airlines at Dublin have long complained about the
high cost, out of touch, "couldn't care less" attitude of the
Government owned DAA monopoly. The traffic collapse at Dublin
Airport in recent months shows the damage the DAA monopoly is doing
to Irish tourism and the Irish economy. At a time when Ryanair is
growing traffic by 14%, at lower cost airports all over Europe, the
9% fall in Dublin's traffic in December can only be explained by the
high costs and third rate facilities passengers are subjected to by
the DAA monopoly.
"The DAA which has increased charges by 30% over the past three years
- more than twice the rate of inflation - should now reverse these
charges by reducing carparking, airport check-in fees and passenger
fees by 30%, and eliminating the double and treble charging for
things like kiosks in terminals which are already fully paid for by
the airlines through high passenger charges. The Government can also
play its part by scrapping the insane ¤10 travel tax which is to be
levied on passengers next April.
"As the string of route closures and airline withdrawals from Dublin
over the past 12 months demonstrates, the DAA monopoly is doing real
damage to Irish tourism and the Irish economy. This traffic collapse
will get worse next April when the Government's crazy ¤10 passenger
tax is introduced. At a time when the Government is asking all
sectors of Irish society to share the pain, it is not unreasonable to
ask the Government's own airport monopoly to lead the way by
reversing the cost increases imposed on airlines and passengers over
the past 3 years. This 30% cut in charges if implemented will simply
return the DAA to the charging levels which prevailed back in 2007.
It would reverse the traffic declines which the DAA has been
responsible for at Dublin Airport last year, although even with a 30%
cut in costs, Dublin Airport would still be much more expensive than
most other UK and European airports who are now reducing costs to
stimulate traffic and tourism growth".
Ends. Friday, 30th
January 2009
For further information
please contact: Stephen
McNamara Pauline McAlester
Ryanair
Ltd Murray Consultants
Tel:
+353-1-8121212 Tel. +353-1-4980300
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