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Ryanair Cuts Edinburgh Traffic by 15% From Summer 2012

21 February 2012

21.02.12

5 ROUTES, 300,000 PASSENGERS & 300 JOBS LOST BY BAA’S HIGH CHARGES

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (21^st Feb) announced that it would cut its base at Edinburgh from 7 to 6 aircraft, with the loss of 5 routes, 300,000 pax p.a., leading to the loss of up to 300 jobs, following the breakdown of negotiations with the high cost BAA Edinburgh about a competitive cost base for further Ryanair growth at Edinburgh. Ryanair also warned that BAA Edinburgh’s high cost base will lead to significant further cuts in Ryanair’s operation, if its 5 year agreement (which expires in Oct 2012) is not extended on more competitive terms.

These cuts at Edinburgh Airport (including the closure of Berlin, Malmo, Murcia, Ibiza and Tallinn routes) become effective for the summer 2012 schedule (starting April) and will include:

· From 7 to 6 base aircraft (down 15%).

· From 40 to 35 routes (down 13%).

· From 140 to 110 weekly flights (down 21%).

· From 1.8M to under 1.5M pax p.a (down 16%).

· This loss of 300,000 pax p.a. will sustain 300 fewer jobs at Edinburgh Airport.

Ryanair will continue its negotiations with BAA Edinburgh to try to extend its five year agreement on a competitive basis from October 2012, but warned that if these negotiations are unsuccessful, then there will be further significant aircraft, route, traffic and jobs cuts announced at Edinburgh from winter 2012 onwards.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“Ryanair regrets BAA Edinburgh Airport’s rejection of our proposals for a competitive cost base which would allow Ryanair to further grow our traffic and routes for summer 2012. Sadly BAA Edinburgh seems to prefer higher costs, even if it means fewer passengers and jobs at Edinburgh.

“While Ryanair remains committed to Edinburgh Airport (and with 1.5m passengers and 35 routes, we continue to be one of the largest airlines operating to/from Edinburgh), BAA Edinburgh cannot continue to ignore the competitive marketplace, where airports all over the UK and Europe have been reducing costs and lowering charges in return for traffic growth. We hope even at this late stage that BAA Edinburgh will realise that the way to grow traffic and jobs is by working with Ryanair to lower passengers fares, not raise them.”

Ryanair Sues Budget Travel

20 February 2012

20.02.12

to Stop Unauthorised Selling of Ryanair Tickets

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (20^th Feb) launched a High Court case against Budget Travel, for breach of Ryanair.com’s Terms of Use and intellectual property rights. Ryanair asked the Court to prohibit Budget Travel from unauthorised screenscraping and reselling of Ryanair seats at inflated prices to consumers. Budget Travel has rejected Ryanair’s request to stop this unauthorised reselling of Ryanair flights, which continues to inconvenience and overcharge unsuspecting consumers by:

• Mis-selling Ryanair flights with mark-ups of €18 or more, as part of Budget’s packages;

• Failing to provide consumer’s with proper breakdown of the fight price;

• Failing to provide Ryanair with passenger contact details which prevents Ryanair from communicating directly with passengers in the event of schedule changes or flight disruptions (similar actions by other travel agents resulted in thousands of passengers being left without any information during the 2010 volcanic ash airspace closures, as travel agents and screenscrapers failed to forward Ryanair information to passengers);

• Failing to provide Ryanair with passenger credit card details, which prevents passengers from receiving refunds directly from Ryanair;

• Charging €75 and more for returning refunds issued by Ryanair to passengers;

• Failing to notify passengers of Ryanair’s Terms and Conditions of Travel at the time of booking;

• Failing to offer Ryanair’s low cost ancillary services including special assistance reservation, seat reservation, priority boarding, text message service, etc.

In the interests of consumers and price transparency Ryanair allows and encourages “price comparison only” websites to access its timetable and pricing information, for an annual charitable donation of just €100. This allows them to compare Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares with those of high fare airlines like Aer Lingus. Ryanair’s licence agreement is open to all genuine “price comparison only” websites and already many (such as Skyscanner.net) have signed up whereas Budget Travel has refused.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Budget Travel has no permission or agreement with Ryanair and we have been forced to take legal action to insist that they immediately desist from unlawfully scraping and selling Ryanair’s low fare flights often at inflated prices to unsuspecting consumers.

Ryanair allows third party websites to display our lowest fares, for price comparison purposes only, if they sign a licence agreement and make an annual charitable donation of €100. Budget Travel has no such licence and is scrapping and reselling Ryanair seats in contravention of our policies, with mark-up charges and without providing passengers with our terms and conditions or Ryanair with passenger contact details.”

Extra Six Nations Paris flights from €199 return

15 February 2012

15.02.12

RYANAIR ADDS EXTRA ‘SIX NATIONS’ PARIS FLIGHTS

ONLY RYANAIR OFFERS THE LOWEST FARES TO THE SIX NATIONS

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (15^th Feb) announced extra Six Nations Rugby flights to/from Paris (Beauvais) to allow Irish rugby fans support their team at the rescheduled France vs. Ireland match.

Ryanair’s Six Nations extras will depart Dublin at 10:20hrs on Sat 3^rd Mar, and Paris at 22:30hrs on Sun 4th Mar. Ryanair’s Six Nations extras are now available for booking on www.ryanair.com, with return fares from just €199 (inc taxes, charges and admin fees).

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“To cater to the demand from Irish rugby fans looking to travel to Paris for the rescheduled Six Nations match Ryanair has added an extra return flight, departing Dublin on 3^rd March and retuning on 4th March from just €199 return. Since only Ryanair offers the lowest fares for the Six Nations Rugby matches, these seats will sell out fast, so our advice to fans is to book today on www.ryanair.com today.”

DAA hike prices again

15 February 2012

15.02.12

RYANAIR CONDEMNS LATEST DAA PRICE HIKE

PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGES INCREASE 6% FOR SUMMER 2012

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (Sun12th Feb) condemned the latest price hike at the DAA monopoly run Dublin Airport where useless regulator Cathal Guiomard has rubber-stamped the DAA’s request for a 6% price increase in summer 2012 passenger fees.

This latest price increase comes as Dublin airport confirms that its traffic has fallen by 20% since 2008, proving yet again that the Govt owned DAA monopoly is damaging Irish traffic, tourism and jobs.

While the high-cost DAA monopoly has been raising prices and reducing traffic at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports over the past 5 years Ryanair’s traffic has grown 50%, for 50m to 75m passengers p.a.

Pax (m)	2007	2008	2009	2010	*2011	Change
Dublin	23.3	23.5	20.5	18.4	18.8	-20%
Cork	3.2	3.3	2.8	2.4	2.4	-25%
Shannon	3.6	3.2	2.8	1.8	1.6	-56%
Total DAA	30.0	29.9	26.1	22.6	22.8	-24%
Ryanair*	50.9	58.6	66.5	72.1	75.2	+50%

* Ryanair figures are to March year end

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“The government owned DAA monopoly has been a disaster for Irish traffic, tourism and jobs in recent years. The DAA has increased prices to pay for gold-plated unnecessary new terminals at Shannon, Cork and Dublin airports, even while traffic has declined at each of these airports under the DAA mismanagement.

While most other EU airports returned to traffic growth in 2011 by lowering costs, the DAA continues to increase fees – up another 6% in summer 2012 – to pay for the €1.2bn it wasted on the unnecessary T2 white elephant.

These latest Dublin airport price increase prove again that that DAA monopoly should be broken-up and competition allowed to deliver lower prices and better customer service where the DAA monopoly has clearly failed.”

Ryanair Challenges Discriminatory EU261 Regulations in EU Courts in Strasbourg

9 February 2012

09.02.12

RYANAIR ‘VOLCANIC ASH CASE’ SEEKS EQUAL TREATMENT FOR AIRLINES WITH FERRIES AND TRAINS, AND FAIR BURDEN SHARING BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, confirmed that its appeal will be heard at the EU Court of Justice (Strasbourg) today (9 Feb) into the current EU 261 regulations which Ryanair believes is discriminating and unfit for purpose as it places an unlimited right to care and / or compensation burden on airlines during the 2010 volcanic ash airspace closures, which led to 17 days of flight cancelations across Europe in Apr/May 2010, which were totally beyond the control of EU airlines.

In defending this test case, taken by a passenger who had travelled with Ryanair to Faro and became stranded for 9 days as a result of the unnecessary volcanic ash airspace closures, Ryanair is requesting the EU Court of Justice to decide:

If the volcanic ash airspace closures were ‘extraordinary circumstances’.
If airlines should have to compensate passengers for these “Act of God” cancelations when travel insurrance companies bear no liability.
If the duty of care to airline passengers under EU261 should be capped in line with other forms of transport (road, rail and sea) to a monetary value and/or time duration.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Ryanair believes that the current EU passenger rights legislation (Reg EU261) is both discriminatory and unfit for purpose as it does not place airlines on an equal footing with competing road, rail and sea transport providers. EU261 places an unlimited right to care and compensation liability on airlines, who have been made the insurer of last resort as insurance companies and governments evade any responsibility for these unforseen extraordinary “Act of God” events.

Ryanair believes that the right to care and compensation obligations of airlines should be brought into line with those of competing coach, rail and ferry providers who have monetary and time limits placed in their EU261 liability. Airlines should not have to shoulder unlimited liability for passenger costs for “Act of God” events which are entirely beyond their control when competing rail, coach and ferry operations enjoy limits on their obligations.”

COMPARISON OF EU261 COACH, RAIL, SEA AND AIR LIABILITY

	Air	Rail	Sea	Coach
Exclusions	None	Uncontrollable issues	Adverse weather	Adverse weather
Money limit	None	‘Reasonable costs’	€80 per night	€80 per night
Time limit	None	None	3 nights	2 nights

Ryanair Opens 8 Warsaw Modlin Routes From 16 July 2012

8 February 2012

08.02.12

BRUSSELS, BUDAPEST, DUBLIN, LONDON, MILAN, OSLO, ROME

& STOCKHOLM

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (8^th Feb) announced it would open 8 routes from Warsaw to Brussels, Budapest, Dublin, London, Milan, Oslo, Rome and Stockholm as soon as Warsaw’s new Modlin airport opens on 16 July 2012. These 8 new Warsaw routes will deliver 700,000 passengers p.a. and create up to 700 local jobs at Modlin Airport.

Ryanair’s entry into Warsaw Modlin Airport will deliver much needed competition and substantially lower airfares than those offered by the high fare (loss making) airlines LOT and Wizzair, and Ryanair will celebrate its 8 new low fare Warsaw (Modlin) routes by releasing launch fares from €24.99/PLN99, which is less than half Wizz’s lowest fares to/from Warsaw in July 2012.

Ryanair’s 8 new Warsaw routes go on sale at one way fares from just €24.99/PLN99 on www.ryanair.com tomorrow.

In Warsaw, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“Ryanair is pleased to announce our first 8 Warsaw routes to Brussels, Budapest, Dublin, London, Milan, Oslo, Rome and Stockholm when Warsaw Modlin airport opens on 16 July next. Ryanair’s 8 new Warsaw Modlin routes will deliver at least 700,000 passengers p.a. and sustain 700 local jobs. Now Polish consumers/ visitors can beat the recession and escape both LOT and Wizzair’s high fares by switching to Ryanair’s lowest fares and our no fuel surcharge guarantee flights to/ from Modlin Airport.

“To celebrate these 8 new Warsaw Modlin routes Ryanair is releasing launch fares from €24.99/PLN99, which is less than half Wizz’s lowest fares. These are available for booking until midnight Thursday (9^th Feb). Since seats at these crazy low prices will be snapped up quickly, we urge passengers to book them immediately on www.ryanair.com.”

Ryanair’s January Traffic Down 6%

3 February 2012

03.02.12

Ryanair today (3^rd Feb) released passenger and load factor stats for Jan 2012 as follows:

	Jan 11	Jan 12	Change	Yr to Jan 12
Passengers (m) ¹	4.66M	4.39M	-6%	76.2M
Load Factor ²	71%	71%	0%	82%

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“As previously guided, Ryanair’s 2011/12 winter traffic was expected to decline by approx 5% as we sit up to 80 aircraft on the ground due to higher oil prices.”

Ryanair Launches “Cash Passport” in Ireland

3 February 2012

03.02.12

IRISH RESIDENTS CAN NOW SAVE EVEN MORE ON RYANAIR

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today launched the ‘Ryanair Cash Passport’ in Ireland. The MasterCard prepaid card (managed by Access Prepaid Worldwide) will replace other MasterCard Prepaid cards as the only way to avoid Ryanair’s €6 admin fee for Irish originating bookings from 1^st March‘12 onwards. All Irish bookings made with any other card will attract Ryanair’s €6 admin fee.

The Ryanair Cash Passport will deliver the following benefits for Irish cardholders:

· Each cardholder will receive a €10 Ryanair travel voucher (equivalent to the value of the card fee).

· There will be no €6 admin fees on any Ryanair bookings paid for with the Ryanair Cash Passport card.

· No transaction fees will be levied on cardholders for any purchases made on the Ryanair.com website or at any other merchants.

· The Ryanair Cash Passport card is a convenient and secure way to carry money abroad, make purchases and ATM withdrawals.

· Card top-ups can be made at www.cashpassport.com/ryanair.

· All customer funds loaded to their Ryanair Cash Passport are held in trust and are protected.

Just like a debit card, the Ryanair Cash Passport can also be used for ATM withdrawals, online and high-street purchases at more than 32 million locations worldwide (that display the MasterCard Acceptance Mark). The Ryanair Cash Passport card, which was launched in the UK on 12^th September 2011and in Italy on 1^st November 2011, will be rolled out in other European countries in the coming months.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Only Ryanair delivers the lowest airfares and no fuel surcharges guaranteed. Now all Irish residents can access even more great savings with the ‘Ryanair Cash Passport’ card, which is now available to Irish residents directly on the Ryanair.com website.

Ryanair’s €6 admin fee will not apply to any bookings made with a ‘Ryanair Cash Passport’ card and there are no transaction fees for using the card at Irish and international merchants, so we urge our Irish passengers to make the switch to ‘Ryanair Cash Passport’ as soon as possible to ensure that they will continue to avoid Ryanair’s avoidable admin fees from 1^st March next.”

Access Prepaid Worldwide’s, Debra Janssen said:

“We are delighted to be working with Ryanair to develop this exciting ‘Ryanair Cash Passport’ prepaid product for their Irish passengers, allowing them to ensure they are using a trusted and approved product that will deliver real savings every time they purchase a Ryanair flight.”

Ryanair to Open Budapest Base in Two Weeks With 31 New Routes

3 February 2012

03.02.12

, 2M PAX P.A., SAVING UP TO 2,000 JOBS FOLLOWING MALEV’S CLOSURE RYANAIR FARES START FROM €9.99/HUF2,000 FROM 17 FEBRUARY

RYANAIR MEETING WITH HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT AND
BUDAPEST AIRPORT TODAY TO FINALISE RESCUE PLAN

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline today (3^rd Feb) at a press conference in Budapest announced its intention to launch a rescue plan for Budapest and Hungarian tourism following the grounding of Malev airline last evening. Ryanair confirmed that it will base 4 brand new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft at Budapest Airport commencing in just two weeks time on Friday 17^th February where it will open 31 new routes, offering lower fares (€9.99/HUF2,999) than any other airline, and delivering up to 2m passengers p.a., replacing most of the traffic and routes lost by Budapest following last night’s grounding of Malev.

Ryanair, which currently employs over 700 Hungarian pilots and cabin crew, will be holding an open recruitment day in Budapest on Tuesday next (7^th Feb), inviting job applications from Malev pilots, cabin crew and engineers to help Ryanair gear up for this 4 aircraft, 2m passenger p.a. base at Budapest Airport. The International Airport Council figures confirm that this 2m pax p.a. will support 2,000 jobs at Budapest Airport.

This largest ever investment in Hungarian aviation and tourism is subject to reaching final agreement with Budapest Airport today on costs, facilities and handling, and Ryanair’s Deputy CEO Michael Cawley has travelled to Budapest to finalise these negotiations with Budapest Airport and the Hungarian Government. Because Ryanair has grounded up to 80 aircraft this winter, it has the capacity to respond immediately to the Malev grounding by moving aircraft, pilots and crews to Budapest within two weeks, in order to minimise the disruption to Hungarian consumers/visitors and tourism as a result of the Malev closure.

Ryanair’s new Budapest base will start on Friday 17^th February at fares from €9.99/HUF2,999 and these 31 new routes go on sale at these HUF2,999/€9.99 fares on www.ryanair.com/hu

today.

Ryanair’s 31 new routes to/from Budapest from 17 Feb

Routes	Starts	From €	Routes	Starts	From €
Alicante	APR	49.99	Manchester	FEB	9.99
Baden Baden	FEB	9.99	Munich West	FEB	9.99
Barcelona	FEB	9.99	Milan (BGY)	FEB	9.99
Birmingham	MAR	29.99	Warsaw (Modlin)	JUL	29.99
Bologna	MAR	9.99	Oslo	FEB	9.99
Bristol	MAR	29.99	Palma	APR	49.99
Brussels (CRL)	FEB	9.99	Paphos	APR	49.99
Chania	APR	49.99	Paris	FEB	9.99
Dublin	FEB	9.99	Pisa	APR	49.99
Eindhoven	APR	29.99	Rhodes	APR	49.99
Gottenburg	FEB	9.99	Rome (CIA)	FEB	9.99
Hamburg (LBC)	FEB	9.99	Stockholm (NYO)	FEB	9.99
Krakow	FEB	9.99	Thessaloniki	FEB	9.99
London (STN)	FEB	9.99	Trapani	APR	49.99
Madrid	FEB	9.99	Venice( TSF)	APR	29.99
Malaga	APR	49.99

Cheap Flights

12 January 2012