Ryanair: Cork’s high costs are ‘hugely negative’

RYANAIR said Cork Airport is one of the most expensive airports of its kind in Europe and it has no plans for expansion there.

The low cost airline said the high costs, coupled with the Government’s €10 air travel tax, means it has no plans to bring any new routes to the airport.

Ryanair’s director of route development, Ken O’Toole said these two factors are having a “hugely negative” impact on the airport.

The airline said that costs at Kerry and Knock airports are “significantly lower” than at Cork and for that reason it would be focusing any growth plans at these airports instead.

“It’s frustrating for me, even as I’m from Cork, but the airport is uncompetitive when it comes to costs,” said Mr O’Toole.

He said operating at Cork Airport is more expensive than London Stansted and every regional airport in Britain that Ryanair deals with.

The airport charges airlines a landing charge and it also has a passenger charge, which Ryanair said it pays and collects from the passenger.

Airlines at Cork are charged a passenger service charge of €7.15 and an airport security charge of €5.50 per departing passenger, said the DAA.

“We are seeing positive growth at airports starting to come back across Europe but not at Cork,” he said.

Mr O’Toole does not blame Cork Airport management for the high costs, saying the airport is answerable to the DAA which has “shackles on local management”. He would love to see Cork operating as a separate entity to the DAA.

Ryanair recently announced a series of sun routes at Cork for the summer months but because of the €10 air travel tax and airport costs it will halt the routes during the winter.