EU promoting communism, claims Ryanair

RYANAIR has accused the European Commission of promoting “communism” by attempting to re-regulate the aviation industry through the introduction of an EU directive on airport charges.

The airline’s head of regulatory affairs Jim Callaghan yesterday claimed the proposed legislation would reverse the benefits of liberalisation. “The commission is trying to impose a form of communism on the market,” said Mr Callaghan.

Addressing a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on European Scrutiny, Mr Callaghan claimed airlines such as Ryanair should be entitled to lower airport charges because of the airline’s size and the fact it used less facilities at airports.

However, both Aer Lingus and Aer Arann gave a guarded welcomed to the legislation, which they claimed should ensure there was no discrimination between airlines at airports.

Department of Transport official Liam Daly described the proposed EU directive as an attempt by Brussels to achieve a balance between the bargaining power of airlines and airports. After objections from several countries including Ireland, the revised proposal will only seek to regulate airport charges at airports with more than five million passengers per annum as well as the largest airport in each member state. It means Dublin will initially remain the only Irish airport to have its charges regulated.

Fianna Fáil TD Tim Dooley expressed concern that neither Cork nor Shannon seemed to have been directly consulted by the Department of Transport in its examination of the issue.

The Clare deputy said he was deeply concerned the views of the two airports had only been sought via the Dublin Airport Authority in light of the recent debacle over the Shannon-Heathrow connection.

Aer Arann chief executive Padraig Ó Céidigh said passengers ultimately paid for airports which offered airlines better deals than their rivals, as the money was made back via higher car parking fees and rents.

Laurence Gourley of Aer Lingus said the proposed legislation had the potential to improve competitiveness.

Meanwhile, a Chambers Ireland report has highlighted how there has never been better connectivity between Irish airports and the rest of the world.

The study showed Dublin has 151 routes served by 39 airlines. Cork and Shannon, which are both served by nine airlines, are connected respectively to 36 and 39 destinations.