Bord Failte Confirm Traffic F

RNS Number : 5908I

Ryanair Holdings PLC

20 November 2008

 



BORD FAILTE STATISTICS CONFIRM TRAFFIC FALLS AT IRISH AIRPORTS

Ryanair today (Thursday, 20th November 2008) drew attention to the Bord Failte release of passenger statistics to/from the Republic of Ireland for the month of October 2008, which shows a continuing decline in air and ferry traffic to/from Ireland, with total air traffic down 1%, compared to October 2007, whilst total ferry traffic has collapsed by 15%, compared to October 2007.

Ryanair said that these traffic declines, which first became evident in September, will increase significantly this Winter, as more flights and services are cut from Dublin Airport, in response to the DAA's high and increasing monopoly airport charges. Ferry passengers, which account for less than 10% of the overall market, are now in freefall, collapsing by 15% on the same month last year. Air traffic which has begun to decline for the first time in 15 years, will see an accelerated rate of decline this Winter as a result of the DAA's high and unjustified airport charges, and a further precipitous decline in 2009 when the Government launches its crazy tourist tax under which visitors to Ireland will be charged a €10 tax for the privilege of leaving the island.

Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said:

'These are the first traffic declines that Ireland has seen for over 15 years. The era of low fare traffic and tourism growth is now over, and this decline will turn into a collapse this Winter, as traffic and tourism is turned off visiting Ireland by the DAA's high airport charges and the Government's crazy tourism tax. The only way to develop and grow our tourism business is to lower costs and no taxes and yet the Irish Government is doing exactly the opposite through its DAA airport monopoly and its crazy tourist tax. Only two other countries in Europe (the UK and Holland) have previously introduced this air passenger tax. Both have suffered sudden and steep declines in air passenger numbers, and it is inevitable that Ireland will suffer a similar fate in 2009. The Government cannot grow travel or tourism by taxing it. This didn't work in the 1970's and 1980's and it won't work in 2009 either.

'We applaud the Belgian Government, who had proposed a similar visitor tax in Belgium, but has since had the good sense in this recession to abandon these plans to tax tourists and visitors. We call on the Irish Government to do likewise before the traffic declines which have already emerged in recent months turn into a collapse this Winter and next Spring on the back of higher Government airport monopoly charges, and this crazy tourist tax which will make Ireland less competitive for potential visitors and will devastate traffic and tourism on and off the island of Ireland in 2009'.

Ends.                                   Thursday, 20th November 2008

For further information

please contact:   

Stephen McNamara          Pauline McAlester

Ryanair Ltd                       Murray Consultants

Tel: [phone]         Tel. [phone]

 

END

 

 

NRABMBJTMMBTBIP