Ryanair withdraws service

Ryanair Holdings PLC 13 June 2001 RYANAIR WITHDRAWS ITS SERVICE FROM RIMINI AIRPORT Ryanair Europe's largest low fares airline today (Wednesday, 13th June 2001) announced that with effect from the 25th June it is to cease its daily service from London Stansted to Rimini Airport. In recent months Ryanair has encountered significant difficulties with the Board and Management of Rimini Airport who have consistently thwarted the implementation of the contract, which exists between the two parties. Ryanair has flown between London Stansted and Rimini since June of 1998 and has built up the route very successfully to a position where it carried over 70,000 passengers in the last year. However, since the Management and Board of the airport changed within the last twelve months they have sought to change the terms of the contract with Ryanair and to break the terms of the deal. Announcing the decision today, Ryanair's Commercial Director, Mr. Michael Cawley, said; 'Here we have the spectre of a misguided airport Management and Board seeking to break its contract with Ryanair. Ryanair has built up Rimini Airport from the provincial backwater that it was prior to 1998 and has transformed tourism in Emililo-Romagno with tens of thousands of new visitors to the region from the U.K., not just during the peak summer periods but throughout the whole year. Ryanair's low fares revived tourism in this region, which has long been bereft of visitors from Britain. The airport Management and Board now feel that they can renege on the terms of the agreement which Ryanair signed originally in 1998 with the airport and expect Ryanair to continue to fly there under some new financial arrangements. What they do not understand is that with ten existing airports and in excess of ten further airports seeking our business Ryanair has more demands for its flights than it can supply for the foreseeable future. For the remainder of the summer schedule we are moving this capacity to Ancona which is merely one hour by car further south from Rimini. The Management there have greeted this new capacity with the enthusiasm which we have come to expect from them and we shall ensure that the passengers will not be significantly discommoded by this move.' ENDS. Wednesday, 13th June 2001 For reference: Michael Cawley Pauline McAlester Ryanair Murray Consultants Tel: 00-353-1-812 1228 Tel: 00-353-1-663 3332
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