Ryanair today (9th Aug) called on the Irish Govt to end the crisis in Irish tourism by scrapping its €10 tourist tax and reversing the DAA’s 40% price increases of 2010 after Dublin Airport confirmed 1.5m fewer passengers in the first half of 2010. Dublin Airport is now on course to lose over 3m passengers this year, a fall of 16% with traffic falling below 17m passengers, having already collapsed to 20.5m in 2009 from 23.5m (2008).
Ryanair, confirmed that while Dublin Airport was losing over 1.5m passenger in the first half of 2010, due to high charges and the Govt’s €10 tourist tax, Ryanair, Dublin Airport’s largest airline, grew by almost 4m passengers at lower cost destinations outside Ireland. Ryanair called on the Irish Govt to follow the lead of other EU countries such as Holland and Belgium who have scrapped tourist taxes and returned to growth. Ryanair also called for the break-up of the high cost DAA monopoly, which is presiding over record traffic declines at Dublin Airport, at a time when many other European airports have returned to growth. Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: “It’s bad enough that the Govt’s €10 tourist tax caused a 3m traffic collapse in 2009 but now it’s clear that 2010 will see further record declines in Irish tourism while the rest of Europe returns to growth. If current losses continue then Dublin Airport’s traffic will fall below 17m passengers in 2010. This, at a time when capacity in the existing terminal is 30m passengers and the DAA are about to open the €1.2bn white elephant Terminal 2, with capacity for another 30m passengers. It is extraordinary that Dublin Airport will lose 3m passengers this year when Ryanair, the airport’s largest airline, is growing by over 7m passengers annually. Clearly the Ryanair formula works, whereas the Govt and DAA monopoly’s policy of targeting tourists with taxes and high airport charges doesn’t. The Irish Govt cannot tax, and overcharge its way out of this recession. Dublin Airport can once again benefit from Ryanair’s continued growth, but only after the €10 tourist tax is axed and the DAA’s 40% price increase in scrapped.”
