Ryanair chief warns of €500 one-way fares to London at Christmas due to Dublin Airport cap
By / Ie O'leary Has Airport Planners Of Picture: Million Lazarov The A Cap Long Critic 32 Year Michael A Sasko Dublin Passenger At Rollingnews Imposed Been
The Government has declined to respond to renewed demands from Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary that a passenger cap at Dublin Airport be scrapped.
Mr O'Leary, who last month said the airline would cut prices by at least 5% in an attempt to spur demand following a weak start to its latest financial year, on Friday claimed a cap on passenger numbers by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) for the winter would lead to €500 one-way flights to London.
He told RTÉ's the company had applied for extra slots over the winter but had been refused.
"We run about 270,000 extra slots at Christmas time every year just to keep fares down. We can’t run those extra slots… therefore the fares this Christmas will be double or triple. We think the fares will be about €500 one-way," he said.
Mr O'Leary has long been a critic of the 32 million passenger-a-year cap imposed by planners at Dublin Airport and has called for Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to become involved.
"Dublin Airport has opened a second runway now. There’s capacity there for 50 or 60 million passengers a year.
“The Government is talking about raising the minimum wage in the hotel and hospitality sector — the only way you’re going to pay that is to deliver additional growth but the Green minister doesn’t want to do anything,”
Under Dublin Airport’s current planning permission, the number of passengers it can manage in a year is capped at 32 million. In December, airport operator Daa submitted an application to Fingal County Council to increase the passenger cap to 40 million a year, with the Daa saying the demand was already there for over 34 million passengers a year.
Daa has also sought to have Dublin Airport classed as critical infrastructure, which would mean its planning is handled purely by An Bord Pleanála.
Several Government sources pointed out on Friday that Mr Ryan cannot legally intervene in any planning process and to do so would be to risk a potential planning tribunal.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said increasing the capacity of Dublin Airport is "in line with the National Aviation Policy, which recognises the strategic importance of Dublin Airport to meeting national social and economic policy goals and includes the objective to develop Dublin Airport as a secondary hub airport".
"Daa has statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport and has submitted a planning application to Fingal County Council seeking to increase the passenger cap to 40 million and planning permission for capacity-enhancing projects including new aircraft piers and stands.
"The minister for transport has previously indicated he cannot, and will not, intervene in the planning process.
"All planning matters, including amendments to planning conditions, appeals or enforcement of decisions are matters for the relevant statutorily independent planning bodies.
"There are no capacity constraints at Ireland’s other State airports — Shannon Airport and Cork Airport."