Ryanair - 6
Why do BAA even tolerate Ryanair continuing to land if they do not pay their bills ?
If Ryanair only paid Shell 50% of the invoiced amount, do you think they would get any more fuel ?
If Ryanair only paid Shell 50% of the invoiced amount, do you think they would get any more fuel ?
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BAA been gready again!! MOL should shift the entire operation to Manston. People would still use the flights. BAA would get the kick up there arse that they deserve. Good luck everyone at Ryan.
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Hogarth1
Manston would not work for many reasons - transport links aren't as good as people need and the amount of flights would not be feasible with current airspace routes from all surrounding airfields and FIRs.
Manston was tried a couple of years ago by an outfit offering flights for a penny etc. They did not last long. RYR would not accept the long detours from route that is needed to give them a safe climb.
Manston would not work for many reasons - transport links aren't as good as people need and the amount of flights would not be feasible with current airspace routes from all surrounding airfields and FIRs.
Manston was tried a couple of years ago by an outfit offering flights for a penny etc. They did not last long. RYR would not accept the long detours from route that is needed to give them a safe climb.
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I side with Ryanair on this one. STN would be nothing without Ryanair. Confirming lgw_warrior's scheme of events, I remember doing multiple ILS approaches breaking off at 0.5DME I think in a Warrior as part of my IMC, and sharing the airspace with a a solitary DC10 for an hour one sunny evening - 19 years ago!
Air UK gave STN a certain profile, but not even in the same arena as the kind of passenger throughput that pays BAA's bills today. As a local bystander, the way I would tell it is that when the relatively mediocre operations of Air UK were in decline, Ryanair saved the airport I think by moving their main base from Luton to Stansted. Ryanair's website booking system was revolutionary of course and its audience reached critical mass late 90s. BAA have fed from that trough ever since. Or have I remembered it wrong?
Ryanair are often bullies but sometimes that's what it takes when the likes of BAA become intransigent / unrealistic.
Air UK gave STN a certain profile, but not even in the same arena as the kind of passenger throughput that pays BAA's bills today. As a local bystander, the way I would tell it is that when the relatively mediocre operations of Air UK were in decline, Ryanair saved the airport I think by moving their main base from Luton to Stansted. Ryanair's website booking system was revolutionary of course and its audience reached critical mass late 90s. BAA have fed from that trough ever since. Or have I remembered it wrong?
Ryanair are often bullies but sometimes that's what it takes when the likes of BAA become intransigent / unrealistic.
Paxing All Over The World
I find myself siding with FR - which is a surprise.
BAA's accountants need to consider helping their customers which will, in turn, help them with the massive debt their main board stupidly took on.
BAA's accountants need to consider helping their customers which will, in turn, help them with the massive debt their main board stupidly took on.
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Well, Ryan doesn´t pay a Cent for landing in Hahn for example, their MTOW being exempt from Charges. If I land with my Cessna, I pay for it, mind you that I don´t need a tenth of the infrastructure. (yeah my boss could buy me a 738 to save landing fees in Hahn...no objection to that from my side
) So I´m with BAA this time. Ryanair has been handled differently for to long a time IMO, that is not only the case in STN.
) So I´m with BAA this time. Ryanair has been handled differently for to long a time IMO, that is not only the case in STN.
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Slip and turn, bang on,you have a good memory......the time when the space shuttle came to visit.....oh the memories.....!!!
I know most people like to FR bash on this site, and yes, they can get a bit annoying! but remember BAA control london, they own LHR,LGW and STN, basically they can 'set' the fee's at what ever level they want, with the exception of LTN, if you want to fly into london then they have you by the you know whats!
so obviously its about time some one stood up to them,if it has to be MOL, then so be it, we all know he's a fighter!!!
LGWW
I know most people like to FR bash on this site, and yes, they can get a bit annoying! but remember BAA control london, they own LHR,LGW and STN, basically they can 'set' the fee's at what ever level they want, with the exception of LTN, if you want to fly into london then they have you by the you know whats!
so obviously its about time some one stood up to them,if it has to be MOL, then so be it, we all know he's a fighter!!!
LGWW
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Scroll back to 2003 or thereabouts.......
"Future of Air Transport" consultation.
BAA (under old ownership) doing everything in its armoury, including outright lies, to ensure that ONLY the development of BAA's airports around London would be "supported" in the White Paper.
Those who proposed alternatives were told that Stansted with its second runway would be ready for operations by 2013, yes 2013. When this assertion was met with disbelief by all, BAA insisted that this was doable from the construction AND planning angles, as well as completely bankable, meaning that they could always finance it.
As soon as the White Paper was put to bed, the date started slipping back, as everyone knew it would, because BAA had neither the planning consent nor the money.
They still have NEITHER of these things.
Ryanair has consistently said that they, as the largest operator at Stansted, are not the slightest bit interested in funding its future development from present fees and charges. And they are absolutely right. Airports find finance, loan or equity, in capital markets, and service that finance from the revenue generated by the investment. It is crazy to do it any other way.
The problem is that development of Stansted is not bankable, especially when the income depends so largely on one customer, Ryanair. So the banks won't touch it with a barge-pole, which leaves BAA either doing it from its owners' cash reserves, or from increases now in landing fees in real terms to finance the development, or not at all.
The Spaniards will never put their own money into Stansted, so that's out.
That leaves user charges as the source of finance, and my money is on Ryanair winning that battle, because it's got all the aces. We will never see a second runway at STN, as we all knew 5 years ago.
"Future of Air Transport" consultation.
BAA (under old ownership) doing everything in its armoury, including outright lies, to ensure that ONLY the development of BAA's airports around London would be "supported" in the White Paper.
Those who proposed alternatives were told that Stansted with its second runway would be ready for operations by 2013, yes 2013. When this assertion was met with disbelief by all, BAA insisted that this was doable from the construction AND planning angles, as well as completely bankable, meaning that they could always finance it.
As soon as the White Paper was put to bed, the date started slipping back, as everyone knew it would, because BAA had neither the planning consent nor the money.
They still have NEITHER of these things.
Ryanair has consistently said that they, as the largest operator at Stansted, are not the slightest bit interested in funding its future development from present fees and charges. And they are absolutely right. Airports find finance, loan or equity, in capital markets, and service that finance from the revenue generated by the investment. It is crazy to do it any other way.
The problem is that development of Stansted is not bankable, especially when the income depends so largely on one customer, Ryanair. So the banks won't touch it with a barge-pole, which leaves BAA either doing it from its owners' cash reserves, or from increases now in landing fees in real terms to finance the development, or not at all.
The Spaniards will never put their own money into Stansted, so that's out.
That leaves user charges as the source of finance, and my money is on Ryanair winning that battle, because it's got all the aces. We will never see a second runway at STN, as we all knew 5 years ago.
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his dudeness, you may have to pay a few euros to land your cessna in hahn,but do you or your passenger park you car for 2 weeks, buy coffee, food, sandwiches, a paper for the journey,maybe some perfume for the missus? and if your flying into the area on buisness do you bring millions of euros into the local economy, and while your at it bring in the tourists? oh and pay airport tax on the booking with the airline,oh yeah and buy an enourmous amount of fuel from the fuel supplier?probably not.........
this is what im trying to get across,landing fees are nothing to an airport,its the other services where the money is made.
LGWW
this is what im trying to get across,landing fees are nothing to an airport,its the other services where the money is made.
LGWW
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In truth, BAA is only giving ol' Pikey a taste of his own medicine. He makes a virtue out of telling people that it's his way or they can just f*ck off! "My train set, my rules!" seems to be the mantra. Well, BAA's airport, their rules then, old boy.
Don't be naïve enough to believe that Pikey will keep 1 euro flights once he has eliminated the competition.
Don't be naïve enough to believe that Pikey will keep 1 euro flights once he has eliminated the competition.
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Ryanair may 'buy up to 400 aircraft'
Ryanair is in talks with EADS unit Airbus and Boeing Co. to buy up to 400 aircraft to secure mid-term growth following its recent earnings slump, chief executive Michael O'Leary has told Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview.
Planes are “about half as expensive as they were a few years ago”, he said, because of the currently weak US dollar.
Europe's largest low-cost carrier last month said first-quarter net profit slumped 85 per cent as its fuel costs soared, and warned it may post a full-year loss of up to €60 million if oil prices remain high.
“But the price will fall below $100 again because demand is declining,” Mr O'Leary told Sueddeutsche . “There is no oil shortage.”
However, if prices remain high, only between three and five European airlines will stay afloat in the longer term, among them “Ryanair and maybe Easyjet”, he said.
Airlines around the world have been merging with peers and buying shares in smaller rivals to boost their income in the face of surging fuel prices.
Oil prices have risen 63 per cent in the past 12 months and last month reached record levels above $145 per barrel.
Ryanair may 'buy up to 400 aircraft' - report - The Irish Times - Wed, Aug 06, 2008
Planes are “about half as expensive as they were a few years ago”, he said, because of the currently weak US dollar.
Europe's largest low-cost carrier last month said first-quarter net profit slumped 85 per cent as its fuel costs soared, and warned it may post a full-year loss of up to €60 million if oil prices remain high.
“But the price will fall below $100 again because demand is declining,” Mr O'Leary told Sueddeutsche . “There is no oil shortage.”
However, if prices remain high, only between three and five European airlines will stay afloat in the longer term, among them “Ryanair and maybe Easyjet”, he said.
Airlines around the world have been merging with peers and buying shares in smaller rivals to boost their income in the face of surging fuel prices.
Oil prices have risen 63 per cent in the past 12 months and last month reached record levels above $145 per barrel.
Ryanair may 'buy up to 400 aircraft' - report - The Irish Times - Wed, Aug 06, 2008
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RYR New Base LBA?
Spicejetter,
are you positive LBA is not to be a new RYR base? The site still shows LEEDS in red. The new owners of the airport have stressed their desire to increase destinations from the airport. RYR have just announced two new destinations from LBIA. Just wondering how informed your sources are?
Leeds App.
are you positive LBA is not to be a new RYR base? The site still shows LEEDS in red. The new owners of the airport have stressed their desire to increase destinations from the airport. RYR have just announced two new destinations from LBIA. Just wondering how informed your sources are?
Leeds App.
Keeping Danny in Sandwiches
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Can't BAA put a court order on a Ryanair aircraft and impound it for unpaid bills? They normally paste it to the front left passenger door. It was a regular occurrence in the past, normally a prelude to the airline going under.
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Motivated by EGO
War in Irish skies as regional rival claims Ryan Air boss O'Leary told him 'F**k off'
Monday, 4 August 2008 (Belfast Telegraph)
The war of words between two of Ireland's top airline tycoons has taken a bitter turn with the head of regional airline Aer Arann claiming Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary told him: "F**k off back to Connemara where you come from."
Aer Arann boss Padraig O Ceidigh says the abusive remarks were made during a meeting which he called with the Ryanair chief late last year to try to sort out the increasingly hostile situation between the two airlines.
Mr O Ceidigh also alleged that Mr O'Leary, who is one of Ireland's richest chief executives, pretended to play the fiddle on several occasions during the meeting when the Aer Arann boss asked him why he was trying to put his comparatively small airline out of business.
But yesterday Ryanair said they would not comment on the matter unless they were told the exact date in 2007 of the meeting between the two men.
"Ryanair has been attacking me and my business for the past two years. Their strategy is to close down regional airports and Aer Arann.
"So I called a meeting with him some months back to ask him face to face about what he was doing," explained Mr O Ceidigh.
"[His] airline has about 55 million passengers, [but] they're focusing on a small little airline with one million passengers? It doesn't seem to add up for me that he is putting so much time and energy in to that.
"So I rang him up last year and I said 'Can I meet you to see what the story is and to see what you're at here?' We met in his office in Dublin airport at about half past eight in the morning and I said 'Michael, what are you trying to do to me? I'm not in your space. I have no aspirations to be in that league, I'm just trying to run my own business.'
"That's when he told me that he'd give me a bit of advice and said: 'Why don't you **** off back to Connemara where you came from?' Then he said in no uncertain terms that he was going to take my business out and either take over or do the same to Aer Lingus."
Although the Aer Arann boss doesn't believe the alleged remark about Connemara was intended as a slur against people from the West of Ireland, Mr O Ceidigh said he believes Mr O'Leary was making it clear that he should get out of the airline business if he could not handle Ryanair's tactics.
"I took it to mean that 'This is the situation' and that 'This is the aim'. In other words, 'If you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen.' And I think that was just his way of putting it."
He added: "I wasn't surprised by his comments, he has made ruder remarks in his time, but I just think that if this is the image of the Irish business person abroad -- because he is a world-class airline manager -- then that's certainly not a good thing."
Mr O Ceidigh went on to say that he was particularly offended when Mr O'Leary pretended to play the fiddle while he raised his concerns.
"What really hurt me was the way [he pretended] to play the fiddle. The Connemara remark didn't damage or hurt me but the fiddle thing was crazy.
"I was just asking him what his strategy was, what was he was trying to do, what was his beef with Aer Arann and he told me he doesn't have beef with Aer Arann.
"I said 'Michael, you've 700 routes I've only 40 but you're focusing on my key 40 routes. I said to him 'It's about you competing with me rather than me competing with you'. And then that's when he started pretending to play the fiddle. He did that on two or three occasions during the meeting. I got very frustrated but I didn't say anything to him. I realised it was probably a mistake for me to go and meet the guy. There was no point on arguing with him."
Mr O Ceidigh also claimed that at the end of the meeting, Mr O'Leary insisted on walking him to his car through an open plan office rather than down the original route that he had come in.
"I came up one stairs to meet with him and [afterwards] I was walking down the stairs and he said, 'No, I'll walk you out.' He walked me through the office where there were about 40 or 50 people working in an open plan office. Afterwards, I just felt that the reason he wanted me to go out that way was because he wanted to show his staff that I was trying to go to him on my hands and knees and that he had me where he wanted.
"I felt that was the reason because I had said to him 'I'll go out this way, I'll go out this way, the way I came in' and he replied 'Ah no, no, no, we'll go out this other way', and he walked me the long way around through the office."
Despite the meeting, Mr O Ceidigh says he is not intimidated by Michael O'Leary's so-called 'bullying tactics' and believes his company can maintain its position as one of the top European airlines.
"He uses a lot of bullying tactics towards Aer Arann but I'm not worried about it. Worrying is not a productive pastime -- I've a tsunami hitting me and that's Ryanair and I have to do what I have to do to protect my business and survive this tsunami.
"We have 1.2m passengers; we're up about 10 per cent on last year in relation to passenger numbers, we have new airplanes that we have taken delivery of and some more that are on the way. We also received the Palme D'Or some time back, which means that we are one of the top European regional airlines.
"But all that's not withstanding that we are in extremely difficult and challenging times. We are changing our business model to look at doing more third party work for example in relation to Jamaica we're helping them set up regional airlines out there, so we are diversifying our model any way we can do so.
He continued, "It's just very unfortunate that a fellow Irishman is trying to close me down. The future is looking tough and there are some very challenging times ahead. A lot of things have gone against us. Fuel is the big thing and I don't know what will happen with the economy, we'll have to just wait and see. But I believe Aer Arann is reasonably solid in the current climate and we are looking forward to maintaining our position as one of the top European airlines."
Asked how he felt about Mr O'Leary's comments on a personal level, Mr O Ceidigh said, "I was taken aback but you have to have a tough skin in this business. I want Michael O'Leary to know that you can take the man out of Connemara but you can't take the Connemara out of the man. And I ain't giving up easily."
And he added, "I don't want it to get personal between myself and him. I don't want to throw stuff at him in the media; I'm not interested in a media war with Michael O'Leary."
The airline tycoon also stressed that he wished to acknowledge Mr O'Leary's success to date, describing his achievements as "unparalleled".
"I think it's important to say that in relation to the success that Michael O'Leary has achieved with Ryanair, it's unparalleled.
"I think he has created a huge success out of the airline and I very much admire that, and I wish him and the team in Ryanair well and even more continued success.
"I have huge respect for what Michael O'Leary has achieved but I think he needs to realise that Ryanair could be a lot more successful if their style was more ethical and not simply a 'my way or the highway' approach. You don't make money by screwing everyone around you."
In the past, Michael O'Leary has questioned the viability of Ireland's regional airports. However there is considerable money to be made in operating flights out of peripheral areas.
The Republic's Department of Transport and Marine subsidises airlines to operate flights from regional routes to Dublin.
These so-called public service obligation contracts are awarded every three years and airlines are invited to tender for them.
The latest round of contracts were awarded earlier this year and, between them, Aer Arann and Ryanair won the most lucrative slice of the considerable €44.6m pot of funds, which come courtesy of Irish taxpayer.
Ryanair won the contract to operate flights out of Kerry, in a contract worth €5.2m over three years. Aer Arann won contracts for Galway, Derry and Donegal/Sligo, generating a total of €33.5m for the airline. The value of the contract from Donegal/Sligo alone is €16.9m, while it is paid €10m for the Galway route and €7m for Derry.
City Jet also won a €4.8m contract to operate flights from Knock, but the company is unable to service the route.
Meanwhile, when asked to respond to the claim that he had several months ago told Mr O Ceidigh to "F**k off back to Connemara where you came from", a spokesperson for Mr O'Leary said "Padraig O Ceidigh's claim that he 'called a meeting with Michael O'Leary' in recent months is entirely untrue.
"Michael O'Leary has had no request from Padraig O Ceidigh for a meeting in recent months, and nor has any such meeting been called or taken place during the last seven months of 2008. Since no such meeting took place, clearly the claims made by Padraig O Ceidigh about the content of this imaginary meeting are also fictitious.
"Michael O'Leary is disappointed by these latest false claims by Padraig O Ceidigh, which are sadly consistent with the false claims Padraig O Ceidigh recently made to Irish Entrepreneur Magazine."
When it was clarified that the meeting was alleged to have taken place in 2007, Mr O'Leary's spokesperson refused to comment further until an exact date, time and location of the meeting had been produced.
Ryanair last week announced that their profits in the first quarter of this year had plunged 85 per cent and that they were likely to lose €60m in the year to next March. As a result, a whopping €1.3bn was wiped off the value of Ryanair's stock price last week, with four million shares changing hands last Friday -- when Ryanair closed down at €2.34 a share. This has come about because of airline's failure to hedge against the massive increases in oil prices. Hedging allows airlines to buy several months worth of oil at a fixed price and many airlines hedged at about $75 a barrel.
In contrast, Michael O'Leary refused to hedge and his airline has been paying the market rate for fuel, which has gone as high as $140 a barrel. O'Leary's gamble has severely dented the airline's short-term prospects.
But despite the turmoil in the airline's share price Mr O'Leary, who turned the airline into the success story of world aviation has been awarded a bonus of €195,000 bringing his salary, pension and bonus package for the year ended 2008 to €1.2m, a 23 per cent increase on his package last year.
War in Irish skies as regional rival claims Ryan Air boss O'Leary told him 'F**k off' - Local & National, News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Monday, 4 August 2008 (Belfast Telegraph)
The war of words between two of Ireland's top airline tycoons has taken a bitter turn with the head of regional airline Aer Arann claiming Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary told him: "F**k off back to Connemara where you come from."
Aer Arann boss Padraig O Ceidigh says the abusive remarks were made during a meeting which he called with the Ryanair chief late last year to try to sort out the increasingly hostile situation between the two airlines.
Mr O Ceidigh also alleged that Mr O'Leary, who is one of Ireland's richest chief executives, pretended to play the fiddle on several occasions during the meeting when the Aer Arann boss asked him why he was trying to put his comparatively small airline out of business.
But yesterday Ryanair said they would not comment on the matter unless they were told the exact date in 2007 of the meeting between the two men.
"Ryanair has been attacking me and my business for the past two years. Their strategy is to close down regional airports and Aer Arann.
"So I called a meeting with him some months back to ask him face to face about what he was doing," explained Mr O Ceidigh.
"[His] airline has about 55 million passengers, [but] they're focusing on a small little airline with one million passengers? It doesn't seem to add up for me that he is putting so much time and energy in to that.
"So I rang him up last year and I said 'Can I meet you to see what the story is and to see what you're at here?' We met in his office in Dublin airport at about half past eight in the morning and I said 'Michael, what are you trying to do to me? I'm not in your space. I have no aspirations to be in that league, I'm just trying to run my own business.'
"That's when he told me that he'd give me a bit of advice and said: 'Why don't you **** off back to Connemara where you came from?' Then he said in no uncertain terms that he was going to take my business out and either take over or do the same to Aer Lingus."
Although the Aer Arann boss doesn't believe the alleged remark about Connemara was intended as a slur against people from the West of Ireland, Mr O Ceidigh said he believes Mr O'Leary was making it clear that he should get out of the airline business if he could not handle Ryanair's tactics.
"I took it to mean that 'This is the situation' and that 'This is the aim'. In other words, 'If you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen.' And I think that was just his way of putting it."
He added: "I wasn't surprised by his comments, he has made ruder remarks in his time, but I just think that if this is the image of the Irish business person abroad -- because he is a world-class airline manager -- then that's certainly not a good thing."
Mr O Ceidigh went on to say that he was particularly offended when Mr O'Leary pretended to play the fiddle while he raised his concerns.
"What really hurt me was the way [he pretended] to play the fiddle. The Connemara remark didn't damage or hurt me but the fiddle thing was crazy.
"I was just asking him what his strategy was, what was he was trying to do, what was his beef with Aer Arann and he told me he doesn't have beef with Aer Arann.
"I said 'Michael, you've 700 routes I've only 40 but you're focusing on my key 40 routes. I said to him 'It's about you competing with me rather than me competing with you'. And then that's when he started pretending to play the fiddle. He did that on two or three occasions during the meeting. I got very frustrated but I didn't say anything to him. I realised it was probably a mistake for me to go and meet the guy. There was no point on arguing with him."
Mr O Ceidigh also claimed that at the end of the meeting, Mr O'Leary insisted on walking him to his car through an open plan office rather than down the original route that he had come in.
"I came up one stairs to meet with him and [afterwards] I was walking down the stairs and he said, 'No, I'll walk you out.' He walked me through the office where there were about 40 or 50 people working in an open plan office. Afterwards, I just felt that the reason he wanted me to go out that way was because he wanted to show his staff that I was trying to go to him on my hands and knees and that he had me where he wanted.
"I felt that was the reason because I had said to him 'I'll go out this way, I'll go out this way, the way I came in' and he replied 'Ah no, no, no, we'll go out this other way', and he walked me the long way around through the office."
Despite the meeting, Mr O Ceidigh says he is not intimidated by Michael O'Leary's so-called 'bullying tactics' and believes his company can maintain its position as one of the top European airlines.
"He uses a lot of bullying tactics towards Aer Arann but I'm not worried about it. Worrying is not a productive pastime -- I've a tsunami hitting me and that's Ryanair and I have to do what I have to do to protect my business and survive this tsunami.
"We have 1.2m passengers; we're up about 10 per cent on last year in relation to passenger numbers, we have new airplanes that we have taken delivery of and some more that are on the way. We also received the Palme D'Or some time back, which means that we are one of the top European regional airlines.
"But all that's not withstanding that we are in extremely difficult and challenging times. We are changing our business model to look at doing more third party work for example in relation to Jamaica we're helping them set up regional airlines out there, so we are diversifying our model any way we can do so.
He continued, "It's just very unfortunate that a fellow Irishman is trying to close me down. The future is looking tough and there are some very challenging times ahead. A lot of things have gone against us. Fuel is the big thing and I don't know what will happen with the economy, we'll have to just wait and see. But I believe Aer Arann is reasonably solid in the current climate and we are looking forward to maintaining our position as one of the top European airlines."
Asked how he felt about Mr O'Leary's comments on a personal level, Mr O Ceidigh said, "I was taken aback but you have to have a tough skin in this business. I want Michael O'Leary to know that you can take the man out of Connemara but you can't take the Connemara out of the man. And I ain't giving up easily."
And he added, "I don't want it to get personal between myself and him. I don't want to throw stuff at him in the media; I'm not interested in a media war with Michael O'Leary."
The airline tycoon also stressed that he wished to acknowledge Mr O'Leary's success to date, describing his achievements as "unparalleled".
"I think it's important to say that in relation to the success that Michael O'Leary has achieved with Ryanair, it's unparalleled.
"I think he has created a huge success out of the airline and I very much admire that, and I wish him and the team in Ryanair well and even more continued success.
"I have huge respect for what Michael O'Leary has achieved but I think he needs to realise that Ryanair could be a lot more successful if their style was more ethical and not simply a 'my way or the highway' approach. You don't make money by screwing everyone around you."
In the past, Michael O'Leary has questioned the viability of Ireland's regional airports. However there is considerable money to be made in operating flights out of peripheral areas.
The Republic's Department of Transport and Marine subsidises airlines to operate flights from regional routes to Dublin.
These so-called public service obligation contracts are awarded every three years and airlines are invited to tender for them.
The latest round of contracts were awarded earlier this year and, between them, Aer Arann and Ryanair won the most lucrative slice of the considerable €44.6m pot of funds, which come courtesy of Irish taxpayer.
Ryanair won the contract to operate flights out of Kerry, in a contract worth €5.2m over three years. Aer Arann won contracts for Galway, Derry and Donegal/Sligo, generating a total of €33.5m for the airline. The value of the contract from Donegal/Sligo alone is €16.9m, while it is paid €10m for the Galway route and €7m for Derry.
City Jet also won a €4.8m contract to operate flights from Knock, but the company is unable to service the route.
Meanwhile, when asked to respond to the claim that he had several months ago told Mr O Ceidigh to "F**k off back to Connemara where you came from", a spokesperson for Mr O'Leary said "Padraig O Ceidigh's claim that he 'called a meeting with Michael O'Leary' in recent months is entirely untrue.
"Michael O'Leary has had no request from Padraig O Ceidigh for a meeting in recent months, and nor has any such meeting been called or taken place during the last seven months of 2008. Since no such meeting took place, clearly the claims made by Padraig O Ceidigh about the content of this imaginary meeting are also fictitious.
"Michael O'Leary is disappointed by these latest false claims by Padraig O Ceidigh, which are sadly consistent with the false claims Padraig O Ceidigh recently made to Irish Entrepreneur Magazine."
When it was clarified that the meeting was alleged to have taken place in 2007, Mr O'Leary's spokesperson refused to comment further until an exact date, time and location of the meeting had been produced.
Ryanair last week announced that their profits in the first quarter of this year had plunged 85 per cent and that they were likely to lose €60m in the year to next March. As a result, a whopping €1.3bn was wiped off the value of Ryanair's stock price last week, with four million shares changing hands last Friday -- when Ryanair closed down at €2.34 a share. This has come about because of airline's failure to hedge against the massive increases in oil prices. Hedging allows airlines to buy several months worth of oil at a fixed price and many airlines hedged at about $75 a barrel.
In contrast, Michael O'Leary refused to hedge and his airline has been paying the market rate for fuel, which has gone as high as $140 a barrel. O'Leary's gamble has severely dented the airline's short-term prospects.
But despite the turmoil in the airline's share price Mr O'Leary, who turned the airline into the success story of world aviation has been awarded a bonus of €195,000 bringing his salary, pension and bonus package for the year ended 2008 to €1.2m, a 23 per cent increase on his package last year.
War in Irish skies as regional rival claims Ryan Air boss O'Leary told him 'F**k off' - Local & National, News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Rebel PPRuNer
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It boggles my mind that O'Ceidigh expected anything else than crudity and invective from MOL.
In fairness though, I suspect O'Leary was playing the "cry me a river violin" rather than the "fiddle".
"Can't take Connemara out of the man"... I don't think it's fair to compare Connemara's subsidy dependence with RE's
In fairness though, I suspect O'Leary was playing the "cry me a river violin" rather than the "fiddle".
"Can't take Connemara out of the man"... I don't think it's fair to compare Connemara's subsidy dependence with RE's
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BAA Ryanair
sky9, the usual technique to impound an aircraft is to paste the Court Order on the front door, and then park a snow-truck just behind the main gear. Effective, but not great for a long-term customer relationship.
Regarding the development of STN, the area of land that BAA have identified for G2 (Terminal 2 and Runway 2) is huge. A 2.2 km spaced runway and land for the terminal in the centre of the runways. It's a massive project, likely to cost around £2.0 bn, major difficulties, especially as Government policy is changing.
If you were a Board Member, sitting in Spain, talking to your bank, would you give BAA money to spend on developing STN? Especially when BAA are attempting to sue their major operator RYN for non-payment of landing fees, ESY and RYN objecting to STN G1, and a massive planning battle to develop new runway capacity as part of G2.
If BA were there, then maybe, but they won't be. R3 at LHR looks like a better investment, although just as difficult a task for Ferrovial. Maybe STN has reached its level as a major UK airport?
Regarding the development of STN, the area of land that BAA have identified for G2 (Terminal 2 and Runway 2) is huge. A 2.2 km spaced runway and land for the terminal in the centre of the runways. It's a massive project, likely to cost around £2.0 bn, major difficulties, especially as Government policy is changing.
If you were a Board Member, sitting in Spain, talking to your bank, would you give BAA money to spend on developing STN? Especially when BAA are attempting to sue their major operator RYN for non-payment of landing fees, ESY and RYN objecting to STN G1, and a massive planning battle to develop new runway capacity as part of G2.
If BA were there, then maybe, but they won't be. R3 at LHR looks like a better investment, although just as difficult a task for Ferrovial. Maybe STN has reached its level as a major UK airport?
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The last time I did it it cost me £80 overnight in a hotel near STN and £40 flight back to PIK. Expensive last beer. Strange thing was it was still way cheaper than flying BA or BMI into LHR even including that last expensive beer.