Ryanair says it would resume routes if airport charges cut

RYANAIR said it would resume operating flights from Cork and Kerry to Dublin if airport costs were cut and the subsidised routes were scrapped.

The Government is to spend almost €23 million subsiding air routes from Kerry and Donegal to Dublin.

Ryanair said however that if the Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts were abolished it would look at operating the Kerry service. PSOs are government-subsidised air routes from Kerry and Donegal.

If Ryanair was to operate the Kerry route then it would not require any state funding but could, on the other hand, pull the route at any time.

Ryanair also said it would consider reinstating the Cork-Dublin route if airport charges were cut so that it could offer €10 fares to “attract people out of their cars”.

Aer Arann was yesterday awarded the PSO contract to operate the Kerry-Dublin route until 2014. It will commence operations in November.

Although Aer Arann applied for the Donegal-Dublin route, it was awarded to Scottish airline Loganair.

The Government is investing €7.6m a year in the operation of the PSOs.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said: “Donegal and Kerry are the most remote of the regional airports from Dublin. This was a key factor in the Government’s decision to continue funding for the PSO air services to these two airports for a further three years, despite the current public funding constraints. Renewal of the contracts in 2014 will depend on how extensively the services are used, and on public finances.”

He said the links will aid in “balanced regional development” in terms of business and tourism.

“People in Donegal or Kerry will be able to conduct commercial or personal business in Dublin and to return home the same day. It will also support the tourism industry in Donegal and Kerry, as tourists on relatively short breaks can reach their holiday destinations quickly through onward connections between Dublin and Donegal or Kerry,” he said.

The contracts were awarded to the airlines with the most “economically advantageous bids for the routes, which were also the lowest”.

Aer Arann chief executive Paul Schütz said the airline was disappointed it was not been successful in its tender for the Donegal-Dublin route.

“We have worked very closely with the team at Donegal airport for many years to grow passenger numbers and we regret that the Donegal services will no longer form a part of our network,” he said.

Loganair announced plans yesterday to introduce services from Donegal to Glasgow from November.

Meanwhile, car hire firm Avis said that it would offer discounted one-day car hire for journeys between Cork, Kerry and Dublin airports.

It said people can hire cars from €40 for a one-day rental.