Airline may expand at Kerry and Knock airport because of low charges

RYANAIR is not planning on cutting any flights from Cork Airport but said it could grow at Kerry and Knock because of low charges at those airports.

The airline said because of high charges at Cork airport it is not planning any expansion there in the coming year.

It is however cutting flights at Shannon and Dublin airports in the coming months.

The airline’s deputy chief executive Michael Cawley said Ryanair would be finalising its plans for its winter schedule at Dublin Airport in the next two or three weeks and warned that there would be “significant reductions” at Dublin and Shannon, blaming the €10 passenger tax and charges at Dublin Airport.

Mr Cawley said the airline will expand in Europe this year in locations such as Spain and Morocco but not at any major Irish airports.

In relation to any movement on providing standing room only for passengers Mr Cawley said that he “wouldn’t write it off” ever happening.

In announcing its first quarter results yesterday Ryanair said it increased ancillary revenue, the charges for items such as extra baggage, airport check-in and snacks, by 13%. Average ticket prices dropped 13% as passenger numbers rose 11%, prompting Ryanair to say full-year profit will be at the low end of its forecasted range of €200 million to €300m.

Chief financial officer Howard Millar said: “You can’t increase prices during a recession.”

In a statement yesterday Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary repeated his criticism of taxes on airport departures in Ireland and Britain and said traffic at Irish airports would fall by 20% this winter.