BAA's Sept Traffic Decline -

RNS Number : 2915G

Ryanair Holdings PLC

21 October 2008

 



BAA'S SEPTEMBER TRAFFIC DECLINE PROVES THE FAILURE OF THIS HIGH COST, INEFFICIENT MONOPOLY SAYS RYANAIR

Ryanair, the UK's largest airline today (Tuesday, 21st October 2008) welcomed the release of September traffic figures by the BAA airport monopoly in the UK which showed passenger numbers falling by 5% to 13.3m in September. The BAA monopoly's traffic decline is in marked contrast to Ryanair's booming traffic growth (up 20% in September to 5.3m passengers).

The reason for this traffic decline is the failure of the BAA airport monopoly's policy of increasing passenger charges and providing abject customer services which at Stansted comprises long security queues, frequent baggage belt breakdowns and excessive passport queues which frequently results in 1 to 2 hour delays for British citizens returning to the UK through Stansted.

Ryanair dismissed the BAA's claims that the long-term growth prospects at the BAA's high cost, badly run monopoly airports are 'good'. In fact they are awful. These September traffic figures prove that the BAA monopoly is damaging British air transport, and British tourism. Ryanair confirmed that the Stansted traffic decline of 5% will worsen substantially this Winter, as Ryanair grounds up to 14 of its 40 Stansted based aircraft solely because of BAA Stansted's high and unjustified passenger charges (which have more than doubled over the past 18 months). 

Ryanair's CEO Michael O'Leary said:

'The BAA's traffic figures which declined by 5% in September prove yet again that high cost, price increasing, badly run airport monopolies like the BAA simply don't work. Having almost doubled passenger charges at Stansted over the past 18 months, it is no surprise that passenger numbers are declining at the BAA's airports, while traffic in Ryanair, and at other more competitive airports across the UK has continued to grow in September.

'These declining passenger numbers provide yet further evidence of the urgent need to break up the BAA airport monopoly, as recently recommended by the UK Competition Authorities. Forcing Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted into separate ownership will lead to a more competitive environment, lower passenger charges, improved passenger services and the roll out of additional and much needed capacity at more competitive prices than the marble Taj Mahals designed and built by the BAA monopoly.

'These declining BAA traffic figures (which will get worse as we move through the Winter) prove yet again that the BAA monopoly has failed British tourism, it has failed its airline users, it has failed consumers, and it must now be broken up in order to allow competition to provide efficient facilities and lower costs where the BAA monopoly has patently failed'.

Ends.                                Tuesday, 21st October 2008 

For further information

please contact:            

Stephen McNamara                         Pauline McAlester

Ryanair Ltd                                      Murray Consultants

Tel: [phone]                        Tel. [phone]

 

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