Ryanair News

 
News Release
19.01.10

Govt Must Keep Irish Airports Open Despite Strike

RYANAIR CALLS ON GOVT TO KEEP IRISH AIRPORTS OPEN
 
Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline, today (19th Jan) called on the Dept of Transport to ensure that Ireland’s airports are kept open tomorrow, even if the overpaid, underworked semi-state employees of the IAA monopoly decide to go on strike at a time when traffic to/from Ireland is collapsing.
 
Traffic at Irish Airport fell 13% in 2009, and is set to fall further which means that these underworked air traffic controllers are even less busy than they were last year. Ryanair believes that instead of seeking a 6% pay increase at a time of substantially less work, these overpaid air traffic controllers should agree to substantial pay cuts to reflect the reduced productivity being demanded of them at Irish airports this year.  
 
Ryanair called for ATC at Baldonnel to be drafted in to keep Ireland’s airports open. 
 
Ryanair has been forced to cancel 48 flights tomorrow (20th Jan) affecting over 6,000 passengers. Ryanair will contact affected passengers directly and advises all passengers to check the status of their flight on www.ryanair.com . Passengers who have not had flights cancelled should report to airports as normal.
 
Passengers affected by these cancelations should seek compensation from IMPACT General Secretary Peter McLoone at tgriffin@impact.ie or on 00353-1- 8171529.
 
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:
 
“There is no justification for any strikes tomorrow by overpaid, semi-state workers at the IAA who despite a recession and the collapse in traffic, enjoy total job security. It is up to the Govt to ensure that Irish airports remain open either by facing down this public sector strike or better still calling in the army to keep air traffic control operating and to prevent these overpaid, underworked, civil servants from shutting down Ireland’s international airports and holding the few visitors and tourists that Ireland has left to ransom.
 
If the public sector unions close the airports tomorrow, they should be told in no uncertain terms that job cuts will immediately follow”.
 

 
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