The Guvnor
20th May 2001, 22:19
From today's Irish edition of the Sunday Times. Interesting to note that O'Leary is demanding compo from the government - at the same time refusing to compensate pax for canx flights!
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2"> Ryanair calls for foot and mouth
cash
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
MICHAEL O'LEARY, chief executive of Ryanair, has asked the
government to cover the cost of refunding flights cancelled due
to the foot and mouth crisis.
In a letter to the Department of Public Enterprise, he said his
company would be delighted to refund customers if the
government gave written confirmation that it would reimburse
the cost at a later date.
When the crisis was at its peak in February and March, a
number of flights had to be cancelled due to a lack of demand.
O'Leary refused to compensate customers who wanted to fly,
saying insurance against unforeseen calamities was not
included in the price of the ticket. Aer Lingus, the national
carrier, agreed to reschedule flights or refund customers.
O'Leary is in regular correspondence with the department, and
its minister Mary O'Rourke. In his most recent missives,
obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the outspoken
businessman dealt with the repercussions of the foot and
mouth crisis.
On March 2, he responded to a letter from the department
urging airlines and ferries to adopt a "flexible policy in relation
to refunds and rescheduling during the current exceptional
circumstances". In this, he suggested that the state bear the
cost of the crisis.
He pointed out that many of Ryanair's customers had
purchased changeable tickets and would suffer no loss, while
others would have travel insurance.
Three days later, on March 5, he wrote again to the department
to say that in view of the urgency of the "current exceptional
circumstances" he would appreciate a reply.
O'Leary added that if the department was really concerned
about Ryanair customers, he was sure they would "agree to
our suggestion that the department indemnify us for the refund
of tickets.
"This indemnity need not be in the form of cash, we will quite
happily take it in the form of credit from either the airport
authority which you own or alternatively the national
broadcasting station which is also owned by the government,"
he wrote.
A positive response would allay concern that the department's
initial request to be flexible with customers "was nothing more
than the latest vacuous proposal from an inept department
which has presided over the greatest increase in costs to
airlines and customers over the past two years," he said.
The increasingly fraught relationship between O'Leary and the
department is highlighted by the response he received on
March 8 from John Lumsden, assistant secretary at the
department. He said simply: "There is no other comment I wish
to make at this time."
Meanwhile, more animals are being culled in Britain now than
at the height of the foot and mouth epidemic, new figures
reveal.
On Thursday, with no new cases of foot and mouth,
slaughtermen killed 79,000 disease-free animals, compared
with a daily average of 33,000 two months ago at the peak of
the epidemic. </font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2"> Ryanair calls for foot and mouth
cash
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
MICHAEL O'LEARY, chief executive of Ryanair, has asked the
government to cover the cost of refunding flights cancelled due
to the foot and mouth crisis.
In a letter to the Department of Public Enterprise, he said his
company would be delighted to refund customers if the
government gave written confirmation that it would reimburse
the cost at a later date.
When the crisis was at its peak in February and March, a
number of flights had to be cancelled due to a lack of demand.
O'Leary refused to compensate customers who wanted to fly,
saying insurance against unforeseen calamities was not
included in the price of the ticket. Aer Lingus, the national
carrier, agreed to reschedule flights or refund customers.
O'Leary is in regular correspondence with the department, and
its minister Mary O'Rourke. In his most recent missives,
obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the outspoken
businessman dealt with the repercussions of the foot and
mouth crisis.
On March 2, he responded to a letter from the department
urging airlines and ferries to adopt a "flexible policy in relation
to refunds and rescheduling during the current exceptional
circumstances". In this, he suggested that the state bear the
cost of the crisis.
He pointed out that many of Ryanair's customers had
purchased changeable tickets and would suffer no loss, while
others would have travel insurance.
Three days later, on March 5, he wrote again to the department
to say that in view of the urgency of the "current exceptional
circumstances" he would appreciate a reply.
O'Leary added that if the department was really concerned
about Ryanair customers, he was sure they would "agree to
our suggestion that the department indemnify us for the refund
of tickets.
"This indemnity need not be in the form of cash, we will quite
happily take it in the form of credit from either the airport
authority which you own or alternatively the national
broadcasting station which is also owned by the government,"
he wrote.
A positive response would allay concern that the department's
initial request to be flexible with customers "was nothing more
than the latest vacuous proposal from an inept department
which has presided over the greatest increase in costs to
airlines and customers over the past two years," he said.
The increasingly fraught relationship between O'Leary and the
department is highlighted by the response he received on
March 8 from John Lumsden, assistant secretary at the
department. He said simply: "There is no other comment I wish
to make at this time."
Meanwhile, more animals are being culled in Britain now than
at the height of the foot and mouth epidemic, new figures
reveal.
On Thursday, with no new cases of foot and mouth,
slaughtermen killed 79,000 disease-free animals, compared
with a daily average of 33,000 two months ago at the peak of
the epidemic. </font>