Ryanair Holdings PLC
15 April 2008
RYANAIR TO WITHHOLD STANSTED PRICE INCREASES
Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline, today (Tuesday, 15th April 2008)
confirmed that it has written to the BAA Stansted (on 7th April) objecting to
the proposed 7% increase in passenger charges at Stansted, which are completely
unjustified, coming as they do on the back of a 100% increase in passenger
charges imposed by the BAA Stansted monopoly in April 2007. These two CAA
approved price increases amount to a 107% passenger charge increase over a 12
month period - that is 35 times the current rate of inflation! The BAA monopoly
is also looking for another unjustified 100% increase in charges at Stansted
over the next five years.
Ryanair is still awaiting a response to its letter to the management of the BAA
airport monopoly, but if BAA Stansted continues to abuse it's monopoly power by
imposing these maximum allowed price increases, then Ryanair will launch
judicial review proceedings and it will withhold these latest increases (putting
them in an escrow account) until the outcome of its judicial review proceedings
at Stantsed.
Speaking today, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said:
'These latest unjustified price hikes by the BAA airport monopoly prove
that it is abusing its monopoly power over passengers and airlines at
Stansted. They also prove that the CAA is an incompetent and incapable
regulator which has yet again put the financial needs of the Spanish
owned BAA airport operator above the interests of airport users and
consumers which it is obliged by law to protect.
'There is no obligation on the BAA monopoly to increase its prices up to
the maximum permitted cap, yet it continues to do so despite the fact
that it already benefits from traffic figures which are way ahead of
forecast at Stansted, and Capex spending that is way behind budget. Yet
again, passengers at Stansted are being forced to pay significantly
higher airport charges for the dubious pleasure of being stuck in long
security queues, never ending passport queues and repeated baggage belt
failures at Stansted airport.
'T5 doesn't work, Stansted Airport doesn't work, the BAA airport
monopoly doesn't work in the interests of consumers, and it's now time
that the Competition Commission and the British Government broke up this
foreign owned, failed, anti consumer monopoly, and got rid of the
incompetent, ineffective CAA regulator'.
Ends. Tuesday, 15th April 2008
For reference:
Peter Sherrard Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Murray Consultants
Tel: +353-1-8121598 Tel: +353-1-4980300
This information is provided by RNS
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