Airlines battle to win customers on lucrative Cork-Dublin route

RYANAIR last night fired the first salvo in a bitter war of words with rival Aer Arann to win custom on the lucrative Dublin-to-Cork route.

Passenger numbers between the two cities this year are expected to smash the 2006 record of 400,000, confirming the route as a vital money-spinner for both carriers.

Cork Airport figures show Ryanair carried 260,000 passengers to Aer Arann’s 140,000 in 2006 with overall numbers up 70% on the year before.

Now Ryanair has attacked Aer Arann’s record of cancelling flights on the route, saying its rival scrapped 49 journeys to its nine in the 12 months to February this year.

“Maybe this is why Aer Arann carried fewer passengers between the cities last year,” said Ryanair spokesman Peter Sherrard.

But Aer Arann said it operated far more flights on the route than Ryanair during the period, adding that many cancellations were down to December’s bad weather.

In the 12 months to February, Aer Arann flew 3,701 times between the cities against Ryanair’s 2,590 flights.

“Most people know Cork Airport is vulnerable to fog and a majority of our cancellations were down to the weather,” said Aer Arann marketing boss Colin Lewis.

“Two-fifths of the 49 cancellations were down to December’s bad weather alone, which also affected Ryanair’s flights.”

Ryanair has just added an extra weekday service on the Cork and Dublin route, flying out five times a day with the same number of flights back on its 182-seat aeroplanes.

Aer Arann now has seven flights out and the same number back on weekdays, using 66-seat aircraft.

In 2004 Aer Arann was the only airline on the route, carrying 245,000 passengers after Aer Lingus pulled its service.

A year later Aer Arann carried 210,000 passengers with Ryanair handling 24,000 after launching its service in autumn, making a combined total of 234,000 passengers.

But last year Ryanair’s passenger figures eclipsed Aer Arann’s as the number of people flying between the Republic’s two principal cities rocketed 70% to 400,000. Ryanair estimates 500,000 passengers will fly the route in 2007.

Ryanair yesterday also attacked Aer Arann’s prices, saying its fares started at €9.99 one-way compared to its rival’s €25.

But Aer Arann said its passengers did not have to pay any standard baggage fees, check-in fees or extra costs to change their flights on the same day on the route.

“Our customer service is better, passengers prefer us and our aircraft are two-thirds full on every flight unlike Ryanair’s,” said Mr Lewis.

Cork Airport said the route to and from Dublin was booming as more people were heading to the capital for leisure and business.

“It’s certainly a route that has experienced solid growth and passengers now have 12 flights out a day to choose from,” said a spokesman.