Dublin Airport’s passenger cap has prompted Ryanair to send aircraft and a potential 200 jobs originally destined for the Irish gateway to Italy, the airline said on Thursday.
Planners have limited the number of passengers that Dublin can handle to 32 million per year as a condition of allowing it operate its recently-opened north runway.
Ryanair said the cap forced it to switch three aircraft that would otherwise have gone to Dublin to southern Italy, costing the Republic up to 200 jobs and 16 new air routes.
The airline highlighted the loss of aircraft to Dublin as it announced a deal with online travel agent TUI, its third to date.
TUI will offer customers Ryanair flights, seats and other extras as part of their holiday packages, on condition the agent does not add charges of its own for those services.
It must also provide the airline with passengers’ payment and contact details, ensuring they communicate directly with Ryanair.
TUI is the third agent with which Ryanair has struck a deal this year, following Loveholidays and Kiwi. The airline continues to battle other online agents in court accusing them of scraping its fares and adding hidden charges of their own.
Dara Brady, Ryanair’s director of marketing, said passengers would receive information regarding their flights directly from the airline and get access to their bookings.
Peter Krüger, TUI’s chief executive holiday experiences, noted that the deal followed the group’s digitalisation strategy.
Commenting on the row over Dublin’s passenger cap, Michael O’Leary, Ryanair chief executive, warned it could last three or four years if left to Fingal county councillors and the Republic’s planning laws.
Airport operator DAA has applied to Fingal County Council to increase the limit.
Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport recently responded to Ryanair’s calls to lift the cap or resign with an open letter saying he could not interfere in the planning process.
Ryanair argued on Thursday that Mr Ryan, or the Government, should introduce legislation lifting the cap until the planning process is complete.
A Department of Transport spokesman said introducing legislation to increase Dublin Airport’s passenger limit “would be regarded as an interference in the planning process”.
Mr O’Leary called on the Minister once again to lift the cap on an interim basis or resign.
“He has no problem intervening in the planning process for the airport metro and he should now do likewise with the Dublin Airport traffic cap,” he said.
The department’s spokesman pointed out that all planning matters were the responsibility of the local council or An Bord Pleanála.
The Irish airline group has moved the aircraft to Calabria in southern Italy, where Eddie Wilson, chief executive of Ryanair DAC, its largest subsidiary, told local government that the move would create up to 200 jobs, including pilots, crew and engineers.
