The potential restructuring of airline charges imposed by Dublin Airport is on the horizon, following the endorsement of objections raised by Ryanair by the regulatory bodies. The airport plans to invoice airlines €13.05 per departing passenger during the summer, and €9.30 in the winter – with additional fees per transfer passenger of €2.65 and €2.10 respectively.
However, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has instructed Dublin Airport, which is under the administration of the State entity DAA, to reassess these pricing plans prior to the commencement of the winter travel period on October 27th. This action has been taken in response to Ryanair’s protestations.
Ryanair contested the disparity in fees for departing and transfer passengers, highlighting a lack of explanations for these differences, amounting to 80% and 77% during the summer and winter, respectively. The airline also disputed charges associated with runway use, which are weight-dependent. It argued that competitor airlines are charged less per tonne for their larger crafts compared to Ryanair’s fleet of Boeing 737-800s.
Ryanair further pointed out that Dublin’s “low emissions aircraft discount,” intended to reduce passenger and runway fees by a quarter, actually only yields a 12.5% reduction. It also argued that the proposed discounts favoured heavier, more polluting aircraft, whilst overlooking airlines’ efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Dublin Airport’s proposed introduction of a nitrogen oxide charge for each plane, an anticipation of potential violations of EU restrictions, was met with resistance from Ryanair. The carrier challenged the necessity of such a fee at the airport and throughout the Republic.
The IAA sided with Ryanair’s objections and directed Dublin Airport to evaluate and align its charges with stipulations in EU regulations. The revised charges, subject to airline consultation, will be applicable from October 27th.
Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair DAC, opined that this decision proved that DAA’s price hikes were non-compliant with EU regulations.
The IAA’s decision has been welcomed with open arms, as it brings a positive outcome for Ireland’s inhabitants and tourists; who had no choice but to pay amongst some of the steepest airport charges in Europe, at Dublin Airport, to support the DAA’s €3 billion lavish capital expenditure scheme,” he commented.
However, a representative from DAA expressed dissatisfaction that Ryanair is disputing the costs intended to meet its goals of sustainability. “The supremely low passenger costs at Dublin Airport, which are ploughed back into services for passengers at the airport, are self-explanatory,” he affirmed.