Ryanair set to challenge plans to tackle airport delays

PLANS to alleviate the threat of major delays to flights at Dublin Airport this summer could face a legal challenge.

The Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) is set to decide next week to designate the airport with ‘co-ordinated status’ starting with this year’s busy summer season.

This involves the replacement of the existing voluntary system whereby airlines agree take-off and landing slots between themselves with an independent co-ordinator who decides on departure and arrival times.

The aviation regulator, Cathal Guiomard, will announce his decision on the issue next Monday.

However, any switch to a co-ordinated status for Dublin Airport could face a legal challenge from Ryanair which has consistently opposed the need for a change in the airport’s designation.

The majority of Europe’s busiest airports are already slot co-ordinated — a system which allows airlines to be fined for any failure to adhere to appointed flight schedules.

The CAR signalled last week that it supports a change in the status of Dublin Airport after a consultant’s report recently warned that growing levels of traffic over the next 12 months were likely to result in “unacceptable levels of delay and congestion”, especially at peak periods.

It identified a shortage of stands for aircraft and a decreasing lack of spare capacity on use of the main runway as the most likely cause of delays to flights from this summer.

Ryanair yesterday continued to insist that there was no need for a change in the status of Dublin Airport.

“Coordinated status will only stunt growth at Dublin Airport and result in increased charges,” said the airline’s head of regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan.

He declined to comment on whether Ryanair would once again use the High Court to try and overturn a change in Dublin Airport’s status but added: “We will not accept going back to a full coordinated status.”

Mr Callaghan also criticised the Dublin Airport Authority for refusing to allow greater use of its second, shorter runway.

However, a spokeswoman for the DAA said this was only used for smaller aircraft and could not be used by the majority of airlines. She also pointed out that it is likely to be removed within the next 18 months to allow construction of a proposed new, larger runway.