Ryanair: Open Skies will lower air fares
Ryanair has today welcomed the introduction of Open Skies between the EU and the US, claiming that the liberalisation of air transport will help increase competition and lower air fares for consumers.
"Ryanair welcomes this Open Skies agreement because Irish passengers will now enjoy greater choice and lower airfares on transatlantic routes," said Ryanair head of communications Peter Sherrard.
"For years, prices have been too high on these routes because of Government controlled bi-lateral agreements.
"Ryanair calls on the EU to use this opportunity to apply the benefits of deregulation to airports too.
"In Ireland, consumers are still paying for an absence of competition in this sector, which is bedevilled by protected monopoly airports.
"Real competition would put an end to the Dublin Airport Monopoly’s plans to make passengers pay for a €750m ‘Taj Mahal’ second terminal when similar sized terminals are being built elsewhere in Europe for a tenth of the price.
"If passengers are enjoying the benefits of competition between airlines, then surely they deserve an end to Government protected airport monopolies too".
