Ryanair blames 'outrageous' cost rises for flights reduction

Ryanair today blamed outrageous cost increases for its reduction in flights from Cork to Liverpool, it emerged today.

The budget airline said it would cut the number of flights on the route from seven to four each week.

Deputy chief executive Michael Cawley said the price increases imposed by Cork Airport would cost the airline an extra €30,000.

“The increases, which are a direct result of the debt, which Cork Airport has inherited as a result of its new, Taj Mahal-like, terminal now makes Cork Airport massively uncompetitive against its peer airports throughout Europe and has made other destinations for Ryanair much more attractive,” he said.

The loss of the flights will deprive Cork Airport of 20,000 passengers annually, who were expected to bring in €8m in revenue to the Munster region.

Ryanair is going to start a new three-times weekly service from Kerry Airport to Liverpool instead.

“We are delighted that we will now be moving these passengers to Kerry Airport who have offered us an extremely competitive cost base, much more reflective of what is available in Continental Europe,” said Mr Cawley.

Former Transport Minister Seamus Brennan said that Cork and Shannon airports would start independent operations debt-free when he announced the break-up of Aer Rianta in 2003.

But the Government has not yet decided if Cork Airport will have to pay off the debt incurred by the construction of the new terminal.

In a statement, Cork Airport expressed disappointment at Ryanair’s decision to reduce its Cork to Liverpool service.

But chief executive Pat Keohane defended the introduction of price increases, which he said only amounted to one cent extra on each Ryanair passenger going through the airport.

“Ryanair will obviously make the decisions most expedient for themselves, but Cork Airport has a duty to operate on a sound economic basis,” he said.