I understand there is to be a Ryanair press conference today at BHD ?
Anyone know what they are announcing ?
Found this on the Ryanair website:
16.10.08 BELFAST CITY TRAFFIC BOOMS THANKS TO RYANAIR
WHILE BELFAST ALDERGROVE STAGNATES WITH AER LINGUS
Ryanair, the UK’s favourite airline today (16th Oct) in Belfast released official UK CAA traffic statistics for the period January to July 2008, which shows Belfast City traffic growing by 28% (the fastest growing airport in the UK) thanks entirely to Ryanair’s new and very successful base there, whilst traffic at the competing Belfast Aldergrove stagnated (growing by less than 2%) as it suffered under the dead hand of Aer Lingus’s high fare services.
To celebrate the success of the Ryanair Belfast City partnership, Ryanair is releasing 1 million €10 (all inclusive) seats for travel in November, December and January, and these seats can be booked at
Ryanair.com - Book your cheap flight, hotels, car rental with ryanair.com from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th October.
Speaking today at Belfast, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:
“These figures confirm that Aer Lingus’s high fare, frequently delayed operations at Belfast Aldergrove have been a dismal failure, because the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland prefer Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares, no fuel surcharges, and more on-time flights from Belfast City. Some of Aer Lingus’s load factors at Aldergrove are truly awful, running less than 50% to important European capitals like Paris and Amsterdam, whereas Ryanair’s load factor on its four destinations (London, Liverpool, Glasgow and East Midlands) from Belfast City are running at over 75% full.
“Ryanair is continuing to work closely with Belfast City Airport to ensure that the runway extension is completed on schedule in the second half of 2009. We hope this will allow Ryanair to expand further at Belfast City by adding a range of guaranteed lowest fare flights to European destinations, which will see Aer Lingus’s traffic at Aldergrove not just stagnate, but collapse, when even the small number of European passengers they presently have at Belfast Aldergrove switch to Ryanair’s lowest fare, more on-time flights from the much more convenient Belfast City.
Today’s release of 1 million €10 (all inclusive) seat sale fares for travel in November, December and January will continue to encourage passengers to switch from high fare airlines like Aer Lingus at Lough Neagh International to Ryanair, the lowest fare airline at Belfast City Airport”.