In order to be fair and objective, while pondering the support for Ryanair one has to put some facts and numbers into context.
Today
heraldo.es has published the data related to public support received by some airlines flying to the Aragon community in Northern Spain.
Well, the marketing support to Ryanair, that carried over 370,000 passengers in 2010, amounted to 3 million euros. Hence, for one traveller brought to the region by FR the local taxpayer had to pay 8.1 euros.
In comparison, Air Nostrum transported 58,784 pax and got almost 2.5 million euros, it equals to 41.8 €/pax.
The most expensive proved Pyrenair. Since 2007, the local government has spent 2.75 millions through agreements to promote tourism as the direct aid to Pyrenair, to carry some 19,000 passengers. It means, every traveler on a plane of Pyrenair has costed the Government of Aragon 144 euros on average.
It seems the support for Ryanair isn't so very expensive, after all.