Aer Rianta is flying — why break it up?
It is a very successful semi-State company. Year in and year out it pays over large dividends to State coffers and, most importantly, is not a strain on tax payers. In recent days it has been reported that passenger throughput in all the airports has increased, with Dublin alone handling 16 million.
Dublin airport is proud to support, financially and in any other way, Cork and Shannon.
As a result, the minister can see the marvellous results that are emanating from these airports.
It is accepted by those in the know that Aer Rianta is up there with the best in managing duty-free shopping in airports throughout the world, running the excellent Great Southern Hotel chain and developing Cork, Shannon and Dublin airports.
This idea of breaking up the airports to give increased competition in the aviation market is nonsense. It is an invalid argument being trumpeted by the bellicose Michael O’Leary of Ryanair.
Unfortunately, he is trumpeting so loudly that Mr Brennan is listening instead of closing his ears to this nonsensical, monotonous diatribe.
It is ludicrous for anyone to think that the board of Aer Rianta is sitting in Dublin airport and devising plans so as not to get extra airlines flying into Cork or Shannon, or is increasing landing charges to such a level that is discouraging new routes or airlines from flying into our national airports. The opposite is true.
Mr Brennan should let somebody know what his business plan is.
I shudder to think of the Minister for Transport in 10 years time when he is trying to put the company back together again. I can hear him now: “Seamus, Seamus, Seamus, what were you thinking of?”
Gerard O’Rourke,
48, The Paddocks,
Hybreasal,
South Circular Road,
Dublin 8.
