It rumbles on from last week. Ryanair now want to expand at SNN and they want to be payed for doing so as well as having
everything free. Ryanair's proposals to the DAA just keep getting better and better. What next will they want the DAA to pay the crew to fly the aircraft.
Latest News > DAA Seeks Clarification From Ryanair
Well said Jamie, i for one hope the DAA (SAA) reject this latest offer from Ryanair - for years the DAA (SAA) staff at Shannon boasted to us staff at Cork (CAA) about the signifcant presence FR had their at one point i think 6 A/C where based and the airport was handling just over 3.5M pax in 2007, 2008 the decline began to 3.1M - while Cork rose to 3.2M in the same year, but it was only in 2009 after significant reductions @ SNN with the loss of LHR (EI - JAN), ATL (DL)*, JFK (DL - OCT), ORD (EI - APR), PHL (US)* - and FR reducing its based fleet from 6 to 4. Then it was October when they annuonced that from April 2010 only 1 FR A/C would be based after already reducing the SNN base to 3 A/C for that winter. But it then came out since 2003 FR had'ent been paying a red cent to the SAA while at Cork although growth was slow & steady from 2003-2008 EI where developing - new LOCO's arriving FR with 1 A/C (to this day**) but
all where paying full charges and Cork was making its money unlike SAA this was shown when FR pulled PIK & EMA (2008) after 1yr because charges where on the way after the free first yr - but FR where not hanging round they couldnt believe the CAA's attiude (Comparing SAA). The SAA needs to hold tight they will see expansion not from FR (unless they buck the trend and acctually pay airports money!) but stable carriers such as EI, RE & SAA's transatlantic airlines which all pay top dollar for facilitys there. By the way just to show how horride FR are to their own staff they make them feel its a priveliage to work for them - you pay for your uniform, your meals etc.. and Holidays are at o'd times & you could get banashed like one FR pilot (only to leave later) from STN to Kaunas which is in the back of Siberia, for speaking the thruth after MOL said only one pilot was needed - another one of his schemes. I hope the DAA (SAA) reconginse what FR have done to Shannon Airport, and the local tourism sector and ignore this latest offer.
*Never recommenced as planned for Summer 2009.
**2nd A/C for JUN - AUG since 2010.