This article is from page 10 of the 2011-03-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
SHANNON Airport is better off financially by having lower passenger numbers, Dublin Airport Authority chief David Dilger has claimed in rejecting out of hand Ryanair’s proposal to boost passenger numbers at the ailing airport by one million over the next five years.
He made comments when claiming that Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary wanted “hello money” in return for a commitment to boost its services in Shannon back to pre-2009 levels when it operated 53 routes from the airport.
“There isn’t a business in the country that can afford to pay its customers to deal with it,” said David Dilger in rejecting the Ryanair one million offer in return for a ‘growth incentive scheme’ that would see the DAA pay Ryanair € 4.20 for every new passnenger brought through the airport.
“All of us are in business to earn a reasonable profit. I’m afraid Michael’s purported generosity to Shannon is not really sustainable and we are certainly not going to pay him to bring passengers in.
“The fact is the financial situation of Shannon is much better today than it was with a far bigger number of passengers,” said Mr Dilger.
In reference to a previous deal between the DAA and Ryanair at Shannon, Mr Dilger claimed “that deal was never completed by Ryanair.
“The promises that Ryanair made were not delivered to this community and Ryanair paid € 3.7m to the DAA in the High Court in order to reflect their failure to complete the terms of that deal.
“Interestingly, the first part of that deal they want to do now is they want the € 3.7m that was won in the High Court back. So as well as being paid to deliver passengers they want ‘hello money’ as well.”
Mr Dilger’s comments came in the wake of Mr O’Leary’s move to gate-crash the Shannon Chamber of Commerce event in Bunratty Castle Hotel last Wednesday, prior to holding his own press conference in the Clarion Hotel in Limerick later that afternoon.
“ I do not think Shannon will return a profit this year,” said Mr Dilger, “but it is well on the way to becoming sustainable. It’s very important to us that we break even by 2012. That’s the plan and that’s what we will do,” he added.