Airport competition will reduce prices
To the best of our knowledge the Minister for Transport has assured the trade unions that he does not intend to privatise the Aer Rianta monopoly; he just wants to open it up to competition.
Ryanair supports competition between the three Aer Rianta airports and between competing terminals at Dublin airport. Competition improves services and reduces prices for consumers.
Monopolies (which is what we have at Dublin airport) provide congested, third-rate facilities at prices that are extortionately high by European standards.
Semi-State monopolies such as Aer Rianta enabled their out-of-control trade unions to close Ireland’s main international airport twice in the past six months and to threaten to close it four more times during March and April.
Ryanair’s only concern in this issue is to promote competition and a better deal for consumers. The trade unions are perfectly within their right to campaign against Government policy, but what is not acceptable to Ryanair, or the millions of passengers we carry, is that a small group of protected public sector workers can repeatedly close our main airport on a whim and hold our vital tourism industry to ransom.
Paul Fitzsimmons,
Head of Communications,
Ryanair,
Dublin Airport.
