Ryanair has urged Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to immediately raise what it calls the artificial funding cap for Ireland’s regional airports from 1 million to 2 million passengers per year, ensuring their eligibility for exchequer funding under the Deptartment of Transport’s Regional Airports Programme.
At present, the Programme only allows funding for regional airports with fewer than 1 million passengers per year, which, Ryanair says, blocks increased passengers to drive tourism, jobs, and economic growth at Ireland’s regional airports.
Ryanair airline CEO Eddie Wilson said: “It is astounding that Ireland’s Minister for Transport not only continues to preside over the 32 million passenger cap fiasco at Dublin Airport, but is now effectively allowing Ireland’s regional airports to be capped at 1 million passengers per annum by his own Department’s Regional Airport Programme. It makes no sense that regional airports are being penalised for growing tourism and delivering economic benefit to the regions. There is no incentive for regional airports, such as Knock, to grow beyond 1 million passengers per annum when their regions are trying to grow tourism and jobs.
Mr Wilson added: “Ryanair wants to grow Irish traffic and tourism, and on 7 Mar last, we presented a growth proposal to Transport Minister Ryan, under which Ryanair would invest over $1.6bn in new aircraft for Irish airports, create over 800 Irish jobs, double traffic at Cork, Shannon, and Kerry, and open a base at Knock Airport. However, this much-needed tourism, and economic growth is being restricted by the 1 million passenger cap, which if exceeded, would mean regional airports, like Knock, would lose exchequer funding for future expansion.
“Minister Ryan is not content presiding over the 32 million passenger cap fiasco at Dublin Airport but is now capping passengers and blocking growth at regional airports too. Ryanair calls on Transport Minister Ryan to immediately raise the 1 million passenger cap on funding for Ireland’s regional airports to at least 2 million passengers per annum, as allowed under EU regulation, which would deliver more traffic, tourism, jobs, and economic growth to key regional airports and the surrounding communities.”
