Airlines resist check-in desk fees

THE airline industry is up in arms over plans by the aviation regulator to approve the imposition of fees for the use of check-in desks at the country’s three main airports.

Submissions to the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) by Ryanair, Aer Lingus and CityJet show that they are opposed to the fees being sanctioned.

Aer Rianta has been imposing these fees for about three years, though they will not be any higher than what is currently being charged. However, the airlines do not want them to be officially approved at the present prices.

The airports operator is seeking an annual fee of €16,718 for each desk at Dublin Airport, €8,000 for Shannon Airport and €7,846 at Cork airport. Aer Rianta said these charges are significantly below their real cost.

But its case is being met with fierce resistance by its main customers. In its submission, Ryanair called the process of approving the charges “nonsense”.

“Not only has Aer Rianta failed to demonstrate that these increases are ‘relevant, objective, transparent and non-discriminatory,’ but the CAR has failed once again to control the abusive pricing policies of Aer Rianta,” it said.

Aer Lingus was equally adamant that the regulator should not approve the charges and “objects strongly” to any retrospective increase in the cost of renting the check-in desks.

In its submission CityJet said: “CityJet would also very much oppose any attempt by Aer Rianta to claim any retrospective approval for rate increases.”

In addition to the annual charges, Aer Rianta is also seeking an hourly rental fee. At Dublin Airport this will set the airlines back €20.90 an hour per desk, with Shannon costing €19.05 and Cork airport costing €20.

It will also be seeking to benchmark the charges against inflation each July.

Ryanair had successfully pursued Aer Rianta in the courts over the charges in recent years as they had not been approved by the then Minister for Public Enterprise, who was at the time regulator for the airports. The Supreme Court ruled the charges were unlawful and granted unspecified damages to the airline.

Losing the case prompted Aer Rianta to seek the commission’s approval.

The row over the check-in desks is just the latest skirmish between the airlines, the airports operator and the regulator. Earlier this year Ryanair attacked the CAR for increasing the amount Aer Rianta can levy airlines in landing fees.