Ryanair has announced it will run an extra 50,000 seats on its London-Belfast route, this Christmas, in a further direct response to the ongoing 32 million annual passenger cap in situ at Dublin Airport.
The airline said availability of its lowest fares on its Dublin-London route are running out and because it has not been given the slots to run its traditional 270,000 extra seats to and from Dublin, it will add capacity at Belfast instead.
It added it expects Dublin-bound passengers to return home via Belfast, this Christmas, as a result of the passenger cap in the capital not being removed.
Ryanair group chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said: “We urge passengers intending to travel home to Dublin for Christmas to book their flights early as cheap seats are selling out quickly. Currently, today, in late August, our lowest fares from London to Dublin on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st or Sunday 22nd December are rapidly approaching €100 one-way due to this Government’s failure to allow airlines to run extra flights to and from Dublin this Christmas.
“Once again, Ireland’s Green Transport Minister has failed to act. Not alone is Dublin the world’s second most congested city for road traffic, but Dublin Airport is Europe’s only capital city that has opened a second runway, but due to a 17-year-old traffic cap, we are not allowed to use it. The sooner this failed Green Minister is removed from office, the better it will be for Ireland’s infrastructure, Ireland’s air access and Irish families travelling home for Christmas.
“We believe air fares to Dublin this Christmas will hit €500 one-way as Christmas approaches and reduced seat capacity fills, and therefore we urge passengers intending to travel home to family at Christmas to book their travel early and avoid what will be record high air fares due to Eamon Ryan’s failure to scrap a 17-year-old outdated and irrelevant (road) traffic cap.”
