MORE EU REGULATORY NONSENSE WHICH FAILS TO IMPROVE EU COMPETITIVENESS

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, today (Tues 16 June) criticised the latest “gobbledygook” EU261 regulatory changes, which will force airlines to publish misleading price advertising. Under these new, even more stupid rules, EU airlines become less competitive as they will be forced to advertise higher fares (which include a 2^nd cabin bag) when over 50% of passengers already opt for a lower fare and choose not to travel with a 2^nd cabin bag. EU President Ursula von der Leyen keeps promising to make Europe “more competitive” but now Europe’s latest gobbledygook regulations force airlines to advertise higher fares, when over 50% of passengers will opt for lower fares without a 2^nd cabin bag. As usual, Europe invents new rules, which makes EU airlines less competitive instead of lowering the cost of EU air travel.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said:
“These latest EU261 regs are more bureaucratic bunkum from the EU Parliament and Council. Instead of encouraging EU airlines to advertise our lowest fares (which exclude 2^nd cabin bags), which is what over 50% of our customers choose, these new rubbish regulations require airlines to falsely advertise higher air fares, making EU airlines even less competitive.

As usual, neither the EU Parliament, nor the Council, have done anything to improve the competitiveness of EU airlines by abolishing Europe’s failed harmful ETS taxation or reforming the EU’s broken ATC system. Europe’s ATC system accounts for over 90% of airline delays, yet the airlines are not allowed to recover our EU261 costs from these failing Govt monopolies.

At a time when Putin invaded Ukraine, and there is a war in the Middle East, Europe needs to be more competitive if it is to deliver growth. At this time of international crisis, all the EU Parliament and Council can do is invent new regulations,  which will now force airlines to advertise higher air fares (which include 2^nd cabin bag fees) instead of advertising our lowest air fares (which exclude 2^nd cabin bag fees) which is what more than 50% of Ryanair passengers choose on a daily basis. When Europe needs economic growth to improve its defence spending, the best our leaders can manage is new regulations about airline cabin bags, which deny airlines the right to advertise our lowest available air fares.

Ryanair again calls on Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU Parliament, to stop making rubbish regulations which makes EU air travel less competitive, and instead do something competitive for European consumers by abolishing Europe’s discriminatory ETS tax (which only applies to intra-EU flights) and finally deliver effective ATC reform by requiring that ATC’s are fully staffed for first wave of morning flights, and protecting EU over flights during national ATC strikes.”