Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (23 Dec) slammed the decision by the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) to allow Dublin Airport to increase its charges to passengers by up to 45% by 2026 (including inflation).
Dublin Airport passengers already endured long queues at Dublin Airport last summer with poor terminal facilities due to mismanagement of the return to passenger growth. CAR has inexplicably rewarded Dublin Airport with a price hike despite the fact that other airports are reducing charges as they try to recover lost traffic post-Covid and drive passenger growth (e.g., Barcelona, Madrid, Porto and Faro).
This unwarranted price increase at Dublin Airport is driven by excessive operating costs and a €3bn+ set of ‘gold plated’ capital investment projects, including an unnecessary €200m tunnel, which airline customers and passengers don’t want yet will be forced to pay for over the next 4 years. To drive connectivity and tourism growth, the Irish economy needs expanded low cost, efficient facilities with shorter security queues rather than unnecessary tunnels that go nowhere.
Ryanair’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, said:
“CAR is once again fuelling DAA’s “tunnel vision” at the expense of airline customers and passengers by allowing Dublin Airport to increase its charges by up to 45% by 2026, and with no benefit to passenger’s or Ireland’s tourism recovery.
The DAA should be putting less time and money into wasteful vanity projects, like the proposed €200m taxiway tunnel, and instead, use these resources to deliver lower prices, more capacity and better facilities for passengers to be able to get through security without waiting in lengthy queues, grab a decent cup of coffee and relax in a comfortable seat while they wait to board their low fare Ryanair flight.
It is not too late for Dublin Airport to come to its senses and abandon some of the wasteful projects behind this 45% price increase (like the €200m tunnel), and instead deliver the capacity required to boost Ireland’s tourism and economy.
We now call on the incoming DAA CEO, Kenny Jacobs, to review all projects his predecessors promoted in recent years and scrap those which do nothing for service quality for passengers or capacity for the Irish economy, and which only serve to drive up Dublin Airport’s revenues at the expense of airline customers and passengers.”
LOWEST FARES FROM DUBLIN TO NEW SUMMER DESTINATIONS
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (22 Dec) announced 2 new summer destinations to Kos and Brindisi as part of its Dublin Summer ’23 schedule – operating both routes twice weekly from June 2023.
To celebrate, Ryanair has launched a limited-time seat sale for early bird customers looking to bag themselves a bargain on their Summer’23 holiday with fares from just €39.99 available now on Ryanair.com.
Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said:
“With Summer’23 fast approaching, we are delighted to be bringing even more choice and value to our Irish customers with the addition of these new routes to Kos and Brindisi as part of our Summer’23 schedule. Ryanair is offering Dublin customers the lowest priced fares and even more choice when planning their long-awaited summer holidays.
To mark this announcement, we’ve launched a limited-time seat sale for early bird customers looking to bag themselves a bargain on their Summer ’23 holiday. In contrast to other airlines offering one-way fares starting at over €100 to Brindisi and Kos, Ryanair’s low cost fares start from just €39.99 and are available now, only on Ryanair.com.”
18 NEW ROUTES (121 TOT) & 4 ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT (22 TOT) FOR PORTO & FARO
NO GROWTH IN MADEIRA & THE AZORES DUE TO INCREASED CHARGES
Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, today (21 Dec) announced its biggest ever Summer’23 schedule in Porto and Faro with 18 new routes (121 total), including Barcelona, Rome, Stockholm and Toulouse, which will drive year-round tourism to regional Portugal. Ryanair will base two additional aircraft at Porto and Faro (4 in total) from Summer’23, representing a $400m incremental investment in regional Portugal and creating 120 new highly paid local jobs.
This growth at Porto and Faro is a direct result of ANAC, the Portuguese Airport Regulator, intervening to stop monopoly airport operator ANA from introducing excessive airport charges in both airports. Regrettably, ANAC’s intervention has not gone far enough across other airports, with Lisbon, Madeira and Azores having significantly increased charges, putting growth in Madeira and the Azores – two island-based economies – at risk.
On top of excessive charges, a further threat to Portugal’s tourism growth looms in the form of ETS taxes which unfairly target short haul flights and have recently been proposed to include the EU’s outermost regions including Madeira from as early as 2024. If approved, tourists will face higher costs when visiting Madeira vs. other non-European holiday destinations meaning the island will likely loose visitors to non-EU destinations such as Morocco, Turkey and Jordan who are exempt from paying ETS taxes.
Ryanair has been driving Portugal’s tourism recovery, with an outstanding contribution of over €15bn to Portugal’s economy over the last 20 years, as recently quantified by an independent report by PwC. In order to continue delivering Portugal’s tourism recovery and growth across all regions of Portugal, Ryanair calls on ANAC and ANA to extend the reduction of airport charges to all Portuguese airports and calls once again on the Portuguese Govt to confirm the opening of new Lisbon airport as soon as possible.
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:
“We’re pleased to announce our biggest ever Summer schedule today for Faro and Porto with 18 new routes (121 tot) and the addition of 4 new aircraft ($400m invest.), following reduced airport charges at both airports. Regrettably airport charges have significantly increased at Lisbon, Madeira and Azores, putting growth – especially for two island-based economies completely dependent on tourism – at risk.
We are calling on ANA and ANAC today to extend reduction in charges to all airports to encourage growth and boost tourism, Portugal’s no.1 economic driver.
For our Portuguese customers/visitors who will now benefit from Ryanair’s growth at Faro and Porto with 18 exciting new routes to avail of this summer, we are launching a 3-day seat sale with fares from just €29.99 which must be booked by 23rd December for travel from April to October next year.
Ryanair today (Tues, 20 Dec) confirmed that it has signed a 4 year pay agreement with the Fórsa union and its Irish pilots under which Ryanair’s Irish pilots will receive an accelerated restoration of pay cuts previously agreed during the Covid Pandemic.
These pay cuts will now be fully restored in the Irish pilots’ December payroll and the agreement also incorporates 3 years of pay increases spread over the next 4 years up to March 2027. This agreement with Fórsa and Ryanair’s Irish pilots was facilitated by discussions which took place on Fri 16th Dec at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
Ryanair’s People Director, Darrell Hughes, said:
“We welcome this pay restoration agreement with Fórsa and our Irish pilots which will see pay cuts previously agreed during Covid restored in the Dec payroll in time for Christmas.
This agreement which includes annual pay increases for the next 4 years now brings our Irish pilots into line with similar pay restoration deals concluded with our other pilot unions across Europe over the past 9 months. We are grateful for the assistance of the WRC in reaching this sensible agreement with Fórsa and our Irish Pilots.”
16 TOTAL ROUTES WITH OVER 140 WEEKLY FLIGHTS FOR SUMMER’23
Ryanair, the UK’s no.1 & most reliable airline, today (19 Dec) announced 4 additional routes for its comeback to Belfast International Airport for Summer’23. The return to Belfast International will consist of 16 total routes incl. these 4 newly announced routes to Budapest, Cardiff, Mallorca, and Valencia. Ryanair will operate over 140 weekly flights to/from Belfast International with 2 based aircraft from the beginning of the Summer’23 season, driving invaluable inbound tourism to Belfast and offering its Northern-Ireland customers unbeatable choice and the lowest fares when booking their summer getaways.
Ryanair’s Belfast International Summer’23 schedule will deliver:
– 2 based aircraft
– $200m investment in Belfast
– 16 new routes incl. 4 announced today, Budapest, Cardiff, Mallorca, & Valencia
– Over 140 flights per week
– Over 800 total jobs
Ryanair has driven the post-pandemic recovery of tourism across Europe, proving to be the most reliable airline in the UK with the fewest number of cancellations over a difficult summer’22 with ATC strikes and staff shortages across the industry. If the UK is to continue its recovery the Government needs to show support for growth by scrapping the aviation tax (APD) entirely for all flights. Whilst a benefit to domestic travel, a 50% cut on domestic flights only from April’23 is not enough.
With 16 total routes to choose from for Summer’23, Belfast International customers and visitors can plan ahead and book a well-deserved getaway, on the lowest possible fares. To celebrate these 4 additional routes Ryanair will operate upon its return to Belfast International, the airline has launched a seat sale with fares available from just £29.99 which must be booked by the 21st of Dec’22 for travel from April – October’23, only on www.ryanair.com
Ryanair’s Director of Digital & Marketing, Dara Brady said:
“We are pleased to announce 4 additional routes at our new base at Belfast International for Summer’23 to the exciting destinations of Budapest, Cardiff, Mallorca, and Valencia. We will operate 16 total routes and 2 based aircraft representing an investment of $200m and the creation of over 800 direct/indirect jobs at Belfast International.
To encourage additional investment from all airlines from next Summer onward, the UK Government must immediately scrap ADP taxes for all flights, which currently put the UK at risk of losing air traffic to competing European countries.
To celebrate today’s announcement, we are launching a seat sale with fares available from £29.99 for travel from April’23 until October’23, which must be booked by the 21st of Dec’22. Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and book early to avoid missing out.”
Graham Keddie, Managing Director, Belfast International Airport said:
“The addition of a further four new routes by Ryanair is a fantastic way to end 2022. These exciting new destinations, particularly Budapest and Cardiff, which are both previously unserved, are most welcome and will provide further connectivity from Northern Ireland. From March 2023 Ryanair will now operate 16 new routes and base two aircraft providing a real boost to the local tourism and business economy.”
3 NEUE STRECKEN NACH ALICANTE, MALAGA UND PALMA
Ryanair, Europas Fluggesellschaft Nr. 1, hat heute (16. Dezember) den ersten Flugplan ab Paderborn für den Sommer 2023 mit 14 Flügen pro Woche zu drei spannenden Zielen – Alicante, Malaga und Palma – angekündigt. Dank dieses Flugplanes wird die Fluggesellschaft mehr als 45 lokale Arbeitsplätze in der Nordwestregion unterstützen, den Inbound-Tourismus von unschätzbarem Wert ankurbeln und den Kunden bei der Buchung ihres Sommerurlaubs eine unschlagbare Auswahl und die günstigsten Tarife bieten.
Ryanairs Sommerflugplan 2023 für Paderborn bietet:
– 3 Strecken – Alicante, Malaga und Palma
– 14 Flüge pro Woche
– Über 60.000 Passagiere
– Unterstützung von über 45 Arbeitsplätzen
Der neue Ryanair-Betrieb in Paderborn unterstreicht das Engagement der Fluggesellschaft für mehr Verkehr, mehr Wachstum und die niedrigsten Flugpreise in Deutschland – insbesondere an hocheffizienten Regionalflughäfen wie Paderborn, die hart daran gearbeitet haben, wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben und die Zugangskosten niedrig zu halten – im Vergleich zu den gierigen größeren Flughäfen, die ihre Attraktivität innerhalb Europas mit erhöhten Flughafengebühren verringert haben. Obwohl die deutsche Regierung 9 Mrd. EUR an staatlichen Beihilfen in die Lufthansa gepumpt hat, sind die Kosten an den größeren Flughäfen des Landes, an denen die Lufthansa tätig ist, nach wie vor höher und schaden dem Aufschwung des deutschen Luftverkehrs und letztlich auch dem deutschen Tourismus, während die deutsche Bevölkerung mit weniger Auswahl und viel höheren Flugpreisen als ihre europäischen Nachbarn leben muss.
Zur Feier dieses ersten Flugplans ab Paderborn im Sommer 2023 hat Ryanair einen zeitlich begrenzten Sitzplatzverkauf mit Tarifen ab nur 29,99 € für Reisen vom 1. April 2023 bis Ende Oktober 2023 gestartet, die bis Mitternacht am 18. Dezember auf www.ryanair.com gebucht werden können.
Dara Brady von Ryanair sagte:
“Wir freuen uns, unseren ersten Flugplan für Paderborn für den Sommer 2023 ankündigen zu können, und unseren Kunden in der Nordwestregion mit 14 Flügen pro Woche zu drei spannenden Sommerzielen – Alicante, Malaga und Palma – eine größere Auswahl und die günstigsten Tarife zu bieten.
Mit der Aufnahme dieses ersten Flugplanes für Paderborn bekräftigt Ryanair ihr Bestreben in die deutschen Regionen zu investieren und dort zu wachsen. Wir werden mehr als 45 Arbeitsplätze vor Ort unterstützen, das Wirtschaftswachstum fördern und die für die Ankurbelung des Inbound-Tourismus erforderliche Konnektivität schaffen.
Effiziente Betriebsabläufe und wettbewerbsfähige Flughafengebühren bilden die Grundlage, auf der Ryanair ein Verkehrswachstum und eine bessere Anbindung erreichen kann. Wir haben eng mit dem Flughafen Paderborn zusammengearbeitet, um dieses Wachstum zu sichern und den Inbound-Tourismus in die Region zu fördern, während wir unseren Kunden kürzere Wartezeiten, weniger Verspätungen und niedrigere Gebühren bieten.
Es ist nach wie vor sehr enttäuschend, dass die deutsche Regierung das Wachstum dieser hocheffizienten Regionalflughäfen weiterhin ausbremst, aber in ineffiziente Großflughäfen investiert, die weiterhin überhöhte Flughafengebühren und Bundessteuern erheben, obwohl ihr Verkehrsaufkommen einbricht und ihr Hauptanbieter – die Lufthansa – viel höhere Flugpreise verlangt.”
Der Geschäftsführer des Flughafen Paderborn/Lippstadt, Roland Hüser, sagte:
“Wir freuen uns sehr, dass Ryanair in Zukunft am Flughafen Paderborn/Lippstadt präsent sein wird. Dieses Engagement ist für uns besonders wichtig, weil es mit neuen Zielen verbunden ist. Insbesondere die Flüge nach Alicante und Malaga werden von den Menschen in unserer Region gerade in der jüngeren Vergangenheit verstärkt nachgefragt. Gemeinsam mit Ryanair streben wir den größtmöglichen Erfolg der neuen Angebote an und werden unseren neuen Partner dabei bestmöglich unterstützen.”
29 ROUTES INCL. 5 NEW & 270 FLIGHTS PER WEEK
Ryanair, Europe and Ireland’s no. 1 airline, today (15 Dec) announced its biggest ever Cork summer schedule with 29 routes, incl. 5 exciting new routes to La Rochelle, Rome, Seville, Venice Treviso and East Midlands, for Summer ‘23. This record schedule is underpinned by Ryanair’s third based aircraft at Cork next summer, which represents a total investment of $300m. Ryanair will operate 270 weekly flights to/from Cork (+20% growth vs. S22), driving invaluable inbound tourism and offering its south-west customers unbeatable choice and the lowest fares when booking their summer getaways.
Ryanair’s Cork Summer ‘23 schedule will deliver:
– 3 based aircraft
– $300m investment
– 29 total routes incl. 5 new routes to La Rochelle, Rome, Seville, Venice Treviso and East Midlands
– 270 weekly flights
– Increased weekly frequencies on routes incl. Alicante (4 W/Fs), Faro (8), Liverpool (6) and Palma (5)
– 20% capacity growth
– Supporting over 1,300 local jobs
Ryanair remains committed to growing traffic and increasing connectivity to regional economies, as displayed by Ryanair’s impressive growth that will ensure Cork becomes the first Irish state airport to fully restore pre-pandemic traffic levels. The further 20% growth that Ryanair will deliver to Cork next summer is driven by Cork Airport’s long-term commitment to maintain competitive airport charges, providing the cost certainty for airlines to invest and grow in the region. Regional development must be underpinned by competitive costs, which has ensured that Cork has secured airline capacity that could have easily gone elsewhere in Europe.
Ryanair’s biggest ever Cork schedule will not only provide its southern customers with recession busting fares across an unbeatable selection of sunny hotspots and vibrant European city break destinations next summer, but will continue to promote important regional development through Ryanair’s support of over 1,300 local jobs and delivery of even greater connectivity for local businesses and European holidaymakers. To celebrate, Ryanair is launching a limited-time seat sale with fares from just €29.99 for travel from 1 Apr ‘23 until end of Oct ‘23, which must be booked by midnight 17 Dec on www.ryanair.com.
Speaking from Cork Airport, Ryanair DAC’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, said:
“As Europe and Ireland’s most reliable airline, Ryanair is delighted to announce even more growth for the south-west with our biggest ever Cork schedule, offering 270 weekly flights (+20% vs S’22) across 29 routes, incl. our exciting new La Rochelle, Rome, Seville, Venice Treviso and East Midlands routes for Summer ‘23. Underpinned by our $300m investment in Cork Airport, this record schedule offers a huge selection of sunny hotspots and city break destinations, as well as increased frequencies across popular routes like Alicante, Faro, Liverpool and Palma.
Ryanair’s commitment to growing traffic and increasing connectivity to Cork means it will become the first Irish state airport to fully restore pre-pandemic traffic levels. The further 20% growth Ryanair will deliver to Cork next summer is fantastic news for Ryanair customers in the south-west and is a direct result of Cork’s long-term commitment to maintain competitive airport charges, which provide the cost certainty required for Ryanair to invest and grow in the region and continue to drive economic growth, jobs, and much-needed inbound tourism.”
In welcoming the announcement from Ryanair, Managing Director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said:
“I am thrilled to announce Ryanair’s biggest ever Summer Schedule, in this their 35th year operating at Cork Airport. With over 1.4 million seats on sale next summer, ranging from vibrant city destinations like Rome, Valencia, Venice, Bordeaux, Milan, Edinburgh, London, and Liverpool to exciting sun destinations such as Faro, Malaga, Lanzarote, Sardinia, Alicante and many more, there is a superb route offering from Cork Airport with Ryanair. Everyone who flies from Cork Airport knows how convenient, quick, reliable, and friendly the service is. We recommend passengers to bear that convenience in mind when booking family holidays in 2023. For passengers across Munster and the South of Ireland, Cork Airport offers the best choice of destinations next summer. I would like to thank Ryanair for its continued commitment to Cork Airport and we look forward to continuing our very strong business relationship, to improve the route offering from Munster’s busiest airport.”