Ryanair and Transport Minister clash over plans for Kerry-Dublin flights

Ryanair acknowledged it had offered to operate a 'non-subsidised service' on the Dublin-Kerry route, but said no agreement has yet been concluded. Picture: Larry Cummins

The Department of Transport has insisted that it had informed Ryanair it was set to announce the budget airline would be taking over flights to Kerry Airport, after the airline objected to that announcement.

Confusion surrounded the Government’s announcement earlier this afternoon that Ryanair would be taking over the Kerry flights, after the airline described that announcement shortly after it issued as being “both premature and inaccurate”.

Flights to and from Kerry and Donegal airports, along with a number of other regional routes, were placed in jeopardy last month by the sudden collapse of the airline servicing the routes, Stobart Air.

The Department of Transport earlier this afternoon had said that the Kerry connections with Dublin Airport will now be flown by Ryanair on a commercial basis, while a preferred bidder has been identified for the Donegal route, which is to remain a public service obligation - that is, Government-subsidised - service.

The routes were due to return to service from Monday, July 19, the Department said, with Minister Eamon Ryan declaring himself “pleased” to be able to make the announcement.

Ryanair however, while acknowledging that it had offered to operate a “non-subsidised service” on the Dublin-Kerry route, said that no agreement has yet been concluded.

A spokesperson added that the minister’s statement had been issued without any consultation with Ryanair.

Confusion

In response, the Department said it had informed Ryanair that it was set to award the routes to the airline after midday, and that its preference would be to make an announcement this afternoon, despite Ryanair’s own preference to do so next Monday.

“The department reiterated that the minister’s preference was to make an announcement that afternoon and to inform those that participated in the tender process, and that a press statement would issue. The department agreed to share the press statement with Ryanair which it did,” a department spokesperson said this evening.

In his own original announcement, Mr Ryan had said that the Ryanair offer would see the service maintained for the next seven months and beyond - as the Stobart contract had been due to expire at end January 2022 - with a higher seating capacity than had previously been available via Stobart, adding that the service had been secured “at no cost to the State”.

“I believe this is a really good outcome for the Kerry region, providing a higher capacity air service for passengers as the summer season unfolds, and supporting the local economy as it begins its recovery from Covid,” Minister Ryan said.

The Government’s procurement process for the Donegal route, meanwhile, is for a “temporary replacement service” for the next seven months, with a full procurement process for a longer contract of up to four years due to launch “shortly”.

The department said that it is “not expected” that a competition for the Kerry route will be necessary given Ryanair has indicated that it will operate on the route on a commercial basis without the need for Government funding”.