Dublin Airport Authority: Ryanair’s hot air increases as countdown to Terminal 2 continues
17-Nov-2010 The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) notes that yet again Ryanair continues to spread untruths in relation to Terminal 2 and passenger charges at Dublin Airport.
As we approach the opening of Terminal 2 this Friday, and given that Ryanair has opposed this new facility for its own purposes from the very beginning, it is perhaps not surprising that Ryanair's hyperbole and inaccuracies become more frenzied by the day.
Their press statement contains a myriad of untruths, exaggerations, and puerile metaphors.
The facts are as follows:
· Terminal 2 and its associated facilities have a construction cost of just over €600 million.
· Traffic at Dublin Airport will surpass 18.5 million passengers this year and would have been significantly higher but for the impact of volcanic ash.
· Terminal 2 is a €600 million investment in Ireland's future and will be used by passengers for decades to come.
· The €600 million construction cost for Terminal 2 and its associated facilities has not changed since the final design was agreed in 2006. The cost of the terminal was independently verified by consultants Boyd Creed Sweett and was found to be "within industry norms for this type of product in a European capital city".
· Dublin Airport's charges are highly competitive and the DAA intends to maintain this competitive advantage relative to comparable airports. Dublin Airport's current passenger charge for 2010 is 25% lower than the average €12.50 passenger charge levied in 2008 by comparable European airports such as Stansted, Gatwick, Brussels, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Zurich, Vienna, Munich, and Oslo.
It is impossible to tell how Ryanair has calculated the cuts that it claims it plans to make on individual routes from this January, but based on slot filings and Ryanair's own timetable, the airline had indicated that it is planning to increase services on many of those routes this winter.
In relation to the Dublin-Cork route, Ryanair has itself confirmed to Cork Airport that the main reason for the decision to curtail this service is the fall in passenger numbers due to additional competition offered by road and rail.