Dublin - Aviation Regulator rubber stamps 15% Price hike

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Ryanair News--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News Release
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27.12.07
Aviation Regulator rubber stamps 15% Price hike at Dublin Airport

4 TIMES THE RATE OF INFLATION


Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (27th December 2007) criticised the useless Aviation Regulator, Cathal Giuomard for rubber stamping yet another unjustified price hike at the DAA Monopoly from 1st April 2008. At 15 this latest price hike is 4 times the rate of inflation, providing further evidence that this useless Regulator is colluding with the DAA’s monopoly rather than protecting consumers. At €7.38 this latest price hike is the same increase which the DAA monopoly ‘suggested’ to the Regulator over three weeks ago, further evidence that this Government appointed regulator is colluding with this Government owned airport monopoly.

This is the same useless Regulator who has recently presided over:
A doubling of Airport car parking charges from €20 to €40 a day
A 60ncrease in Airport car hire levy
A 50ncrease in check in desk charges
A quadrupling of Terminal 2 costs from €200m to €800m
And has confirmed passenger charges will DOUBLE to pay for this DAA waste
Not alone has this regulator failed to control the DAA monopoly’s costs, he can’t even control his own costs which over the past five years have doubled from €2m to €4m. His staffing numbers have increased by 40 and average salaries have rocketed from €48,000 to €86,000, more that 5 times the rate of inflation.

Speaking today, Ryanair’s Head of Regulatory Affairs, Jim Callaghan said:
“This Government appointed Aviation Regulator has been an abysmal failure. He is clearly colluding with the Government airport monopoly which he is supposed to regulate. His bogus report rubber stamps yet another unjustified 15rice hike at the Dublin Airport Monopoly, which was the same inflation busting increase proposed three weeks ago by the DAA monopoly.

“Having allowed this monopoly to go ahead with an €800m gold plated terminal, more than four times the original €200m cost, he has now allowed them to raise charges all over the airport, including car parking, car hire levies, check-in desks and office rentals without any attempt to protect consumers from this monopoly abuse.

“This Regulator is every monopoly’s dream and every consumer’s nightmare and we again call on the Minister for Transport to dismiss him, before he does further damage to Ireland’s airline industry and the millions of passengers suffering at Dublin airport”.