Ryanair News

 
News Release
30.10.09

Ryanair responds to Shannon's false claims

 
and  confirms 75% cuts in flights, jobs and traffic at Shannon next summer
 
Ryanair, Ireland’s favourite airline, this evening (30th Oct) rejected Shannon Airport's false claims that Ryanair’s terms for a 5 year extension of its Shannon cost base were “unrealistic”. Ryanair had offered Shannon better cost terms than are presently being offered to Ryanair by many other lower cost airports in better destinations all over Europe. 
 
Since Ryanair established its Shannon base, in April 2006, the airline has invested over $400m in six aircraft for Shannon, created more than 300 direct jobs at the airport, and delivered up to 1.9m passengers last year prior to the devastating impact of the Govt's insanely stupid €10 tourist tax which has made Shannon a hopelessly uncompetitive tourist destination for inbound visitors.
 
Ryanair regrets the decision of the Irish Govt to tax tourists, at a time when other EU govts including the Belgians, Dutch, Greek and Spanish have abolished tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges, in some cases to zero.  The combination of the Govt’s tourist tax and the DAA’s airport charges now makes Shannon uncompetitive. Since Shannon has rejected Ryanair’s offer the airline will proceed to cut its based aircraft in Shannon next summer by 75% (from four to one) aircraft with the loss of 150 Ryanair jobs and a loss of 1.5m Ryanair passengers in Shannon and the Mid-West region. 
 
Ryanair’s Michael Cawley said,
 
“Ryanair sincerely regrets the self inflicted damage being done to Irish tourism by this Govt crazy €10 tourist tax, and the uncompetitive airport costs and charges being levied by the Govt owned DAA monopoly at Dublin, Cork and Shannon. In 2009 Irish airports will lose more than 4m passengers during a year when Ryanair will grow by over 8m passengers.
 
All of Ryanair’s growth is now taking place outside of Ireland while Irish tourism is being devastated by Govt taxes and the high cost Govt owned DAA airport monopoly.
 
We’re sad that all Ryanair’s investment and growth at Shannon over the last five years will now be destroyed by the Govt's tourist tax and the DAA’s refusal to provide a competitive cost base at Shannon. However, Ryanair is a public company, and we will reallocate these aircraft, jobs and growth to those countries like Holland, Belgium and Spain who have reacted to the current recession by abolishing tourist taxes and cutting airport fees, in some case by 100%, in order to grow their tourism while the Irish Govt shoots itself through both feet at once.”
 

 

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