Ryanair apology for spokesman’s Cork Airport comments

Ryanair last night issued a statement apologising for and withdrawing “inaccurate comments” about Cork Airport charges which were made by its own spokesman.

In an article which appeared on the Irish Independent’s website yesterday afternoon, the airline was quoted as urging customers of Cork Airport to “make its ‘excessive’ charges a general election issue”.

The article said Ryanair operates 19 summer and six winter routes from Cork and that the airline said excessive charges were preventing its expansion at the airport.

It then quoted Robin Kiely, Ryanair’s head of communications as saying: “If the high charges come down, we’ll be happy to go there... But it’s too expensive. Cork’s airport charges are on a par with what airlines are charged at Rome, and are more expensive than the charges at Lisbon, Malaga, Palma and Valencia airports.

“People should be getting on to local politicians who are looking for their vote to make Cork Airport a general election issue.”

Last night the airline issued a statement in which it said it wanted to “correct the inaccurate comments made by its spokesperson Robin Kiely earlier today concerning Cork Airport”, before making the following points.

• Ryanair does not have a problem with current fee levels at Cork where Ryanair operates 18 routes and will carry over 750,000 customers in 2015.
• Charges at Cork Airport are a matter of continuing negotiation between Ryanair and the DAA which owns and operates Cork Airport.
• Ryanair is in negotiations about new routes and growth incentives at Cork.
• Ryanair does not believe it is appropriate airport charges should become a political issue or an election issue. Politicians should not get involved in setting commercial airport fees.
• Ryanair continues to work closely with the DAA and the Government.