Ryan Air to Ground One Tenth of Fleet

[sky's the limit]

Ryanair to ground tenth of fleet

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/06 ... index.html


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Ryanair said Tuesday it will ground up to 10 percent of its fleet over the winter because of rising airport charges.

Ryanair has complained to OFT about its ongoing row with the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.

The Irish budget carrier claimed it would be more profitable to keep 20 of its planes on the ground at airports in London and Dublin.

The announcement came despite Ryanair unveiling a 17 percent rise in pre-tax profits to €528 million ($818 million) in the first quarter of 2008.

The airline's CEO Michael O'Leary blamed the decision on the "unjustified" doubling in landing and handling charges levied by the British Airports Authority and higher charges at Dublin Airport.

O'Leary said the low-cost carrier would break even if oil prices remained at $130 a barrel for the remainder of 2008.

"The over-riding concern for airlines, passengers and investors currently is the irrational price of oil," O'Leary said in a statement.

In spite of a 20 percent rise in passenger numbers, O'Leary has imposed a pay freeze on himself and Ryanair's top 36 managers.
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The airline has faced a difficult year so far.

In April, the British advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority referred Europe's leading low-cost carrier to the Office of Fair Trading over allegations it was giving customers misleading information on its Web site.

Two months earlier, Ryanair had to pay compensation to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy after using a photo of the French leader and his wife Carla Bruni without permission in an advert.

[sky's the limit]

Maybe if they charged more than $1/flight they wouldn't have this trouble....


stl

[iflyforpie]

Well, they certainly can't pay their pilots any less.

[altiplano]

please attach cheque to resume, all previously unsuccessful applicants are invited to re-apply... often...

[W5]

Well, they certainly can't pay their pilots any less.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/about.ph ... p_benefits

[W5]

High oil prices hit low-cost carriers especially hard

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/03/business/air.php

[mighty mouse]

Well, they certainly can't pay their pilots any less.

they're some of the best paid out there!

[g5]

Well, they certainly can't pay their pilots any less.

This coming from a guy who flies for pie!

[Troubleshot]

CanJet is scooping up some of them.

[Ogee]

As far as airlines go, you can't find a worse shithole than Ryanair in the English speaking world. It would take months of the entire population of North Dublin kicking Michael O'Leary in the nuts before it would do him any good at all.

[Cat Driver]

It never failed to amaze me how many Ryan Air airplanes used to be coming and going every time I used Stansted airport when going into Europe.