Loads on BVA and HHN in particular were notably poor.
What about BGY and GRO? Looking at last AENA stats available GRO was around 62% load in May, reasonable for start of the season. REU did very well last few years, perhaps it suited the market for the coastal resorts and adventure park better than GIR as a city break. Not a good sign but it is just 3 months into the first season, and sadly much of the marketing funding and European promotion is only coming together in the last few weeks.
I wonder if they have a multi-year deal with FR, they seemed to have going on MOLs talk of doubling routes, and the DOT and Tourism Ireland involvement in Euro launch suggested the were offering longterm backing.
However I noticed FR slip a small dig in one of the articles about the latest cozy up to Shannon, could be playing them off:
Since the previous Shannon deal ended in 2009, airports such as Kerry and Knock have increased Ryanair services. Mr Cawley declined to go into detail on deals with these airports but confirmed it was much more competitive than what the DAA was seeking at Shannon. “What I can tell you is that free is expensive there (Knock and Kerry) now,” he said.