Dublin Airport costs Irish Tourism Another Route

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Ryanair News
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News Release
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29.08.08

DUBLIN AIRPORT MONOPOLY COSTS IRISH TOURISM ANOTHER ROUTE

Competition Works – Monopolies Don’t

Ryanair, Europe’s leading low fares airline today (Friday, 29th August 2008), cancelled its offer to launch a new route from Dublin to Marrakech this winter because the Dublin Airport monopoly has refused to include this new route in its New Route Discount Scheme.

Ryanair has, for the last two months, offered to launch a new route from Dublin to Marrakech, which would be the airport’s first scheduled service to Africa and has sought inclusion of this route in the New Route Support Scheme operated by the Dublin Airport monopoly. The DAA monopoly has refused to include the route in its New Route Discount Scheme and consequently thousands of extra tourists and tens of extra jobs opportunities will be lost as a result.

Commenting on today’s cancellation, Ryanair’s Michael Cawley said;

“Competition works – Monopolies Don’t. The DAA monopoly has once again proven that it is damaging the Irish tourism industry. Their refusal to include Ryanair’s new route from Dublin to Marrakech in its New Route Discount Scheme has cost the country thousands of winter visitors and new tourism jobs.

“While the DAA monopoly is quite prepared to offer this New Route Scheme to flaky, insolvent airlines, it seems determined to place every impediment in the way of Ryanair’s attempts to continue to develop Irish tourism.

“The DAA monopoly will continue to behave in this abusive fashion for as long as there is no competition at Dublin Airport. Ryanair again calls for a competing terminal at Dublin Airport so that airlines can deliver the improved facilities and low costs, which we can now expect in London’s airports as a result of the UK Competition Authority’s ruling to break up the BAA’s monopoly ownership of the London airports.

“It is clear from the UK Competition Authority’s report that monopoly ownership of airports is bad for consumers and bad for the economy. It is high time that the Government ended the DAA’s monopoly ownership of Dublin Airport and the ineffective regulatory regime, which protects it”.