Ryanair Announces Schedule Re

RNS Number : 1056Z

Ryanair Holdings PLC

15 July 2008

 



RYANAIR ANNOUNCES 18% SCHEDULE REDUCTIONS AT DUBLIN FOR WINTER'08/'09

Tuesday, 15th July 2008: Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today announced substantial capacity reductions at its Dublin base for the coming winter schedule (08/09). Compared to winter 2007, when Ryanair operated 22 aircraft, and over 1,350 weekly flights, Ryanair's schedule at Dublin this winter will be reduced to 18 based aircraft and less than 1,200 weekly flights. This represents an 18% reduction in based aircraft, and an approximate 12% reduction in weekly flights. Ryanair estimates that its traffic at Dublin Airport this winter will decline by some 500,000 passengers compared to last winter's schedule. 

Ryanair's decision to cut back based aircraft numbers and flights at Dublin Airport is for the following reasons: 

• Dublin is the second most expensive of Ryanair's base airports.

• Costs at the DAA monopoly continue to increase at multiples of the present rate of inflation.

• The Aviation Regulator continues to rubber stamp unjustified Dublin Airport cost increases including a recent 50% increase in check-in desks and a new (double) charge for check-in desks kiosks.

• With oil at $140 a barrel, flights at high cost/expensive airports like Dublin must be reduced this winter when fares are very low.

Ryanair confirmed that it had written to Dublin Airport seeking a reduction in the costs of these flights this winter, but this offer has been dismissed by the DAA monopoly. This is a further example of the DAA monopoly's disregard for the needs and requirements of its airline customers. Ryanair estimates that this cutback in winter capacity will result in almost 500,000 fewer passengers using Dublin Airport this winter. However by eliminating this traffic - which Dublin Airport charges up to €15 per departing passenger (more than the total air fare in many cases), Ryanair will minimise its losses at Dublin Airport this winter.  

At a time when many other European airports are building low cost facilities and reducing their charges, the Dublin Airport monopoly is wasting hundreds of millions of euro on inefficient facilities, and the useless Aviation Regulator is rubber-stamping most of the cost increases they seek. Last week's radar system failures at Dublin Airport was just the latest indication that the regulated Dublin Airport monopoly, and the regulated IAA monopoly are not delivering what airport users want or need at Dublin Airport. The sooner Ireland's useless Aviation Regulator is dismissed and replaced with competing facilities, the better.  

Speaking today on the Dublin schedule reductions planned for Winter '08/'09, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said:

'We regret this significant capacity reduction at Dublin Airport this winter. It will be the first time for many years that Ryanair has reduced capacity at Dublin Airport. However, the combination of Dublin's high costs (second most expensive base Ryanair operates to), unjustified cost increases (up 40% in the last 4 years) and a hopeless Aviation Regulator who has most recently rubberstamped doubling charging for check-in desks and check-in kiosks, makes it more profitable for Ryanair to ground these aircraft rather than fly them at Dublin Airport this Winter.

'These flights and 500,000 passengers would not be lost to Dublin or Irish tourism if the DAA monopoly had responded to Ryanair's proposals for discounts on these flights for the winter season. Like all monopolies the DAA has no concern for its customers which is why Ryanair's offers were dismissed out of hand.

'If a competing second terminal was being built at Dublin Airport, as Seamus Brennan had proposed some years ago, airport charges at Dublin Airport would be falling and facilities would be improving. Instead we have a Government-owned airport monopoly wasting money building facilities that the airlines don't want, and imposing massive cost increases at a time when fares are falling and oil prices have doubled to all-time highs.

'I have little doubt that Ireland and its tourism industry is facing a catastrophe over the coming year. Traffic growth at Dublin will be ended by this combination of a rapacious Government monopoly, and an inadequate, useless Aviation Regulator. The sooner both of these are done away with and replaced with competing facilities at Dublin Airport, then the sooner Dublin can return to traffic growth, lower costs and more efficient passenger friendly facilities'.

A sample of the cutbacks is enclosed in the below table

DUBLIN WINTER 08/09 CUTBACKS

	Winter 07/08	Winter 08/09
Base Aircraft	22	18	(-18%)
Weekly Flights	1,352	1,190	(-12%)
E.g. Stansted	58	50	(-14%)
Warsaw	7	0	(-100%)
Leeds B.	19	13	(-31%)

Ends.                    Tuesday, 15th July 2008

For further information

please contact:            Stephen McNamara        Pauline McAlester

                                     Ryanair                             Murray Consultants

                                     Tel: [phone]        Tel. [phone]

 

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