Ryanair refuses to install kiosks at Dublin Airport over charges row

Ryanair today (Wednesday, 29th October 2008) confirmed that it would not now install self service kiosks (SSK's) at the Dublin Airport monopoly, following the failure of Ryanair's application for an injunction to prevent the DAA monopoly forcing Ryanair to sign an onerous licence agreement, or to agree to a floor space rental fee for these kiosks which represents a treble charge for the same floor space by the Dublin Airport monopoly.

Ryanair explained that the terminal floor space at Dublin Airport is already being double charged to airlines, firstly through the €15 departing passenger fee at Dublin Airport (which pays in full for the terminal space) and secondly through an annual €25,000 check-in desk rental, on every check-in desk. The DAA are now seeking to charge a third time for exactly the same floor space with this new SSK floor space rental fee, for terminal space which has been paid for twice already.

Ryanair said it was inexplicable that it was installing kiosks at Stansted and many other European airports without any additional licence or rental fee and it was only the DAA airports that were seeking to levy this extra rental which the Aviation Regulator has already confirmed is a double (or in this case treble) charge for the same floor space.

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said:

"This is another example of monopoly abuse by the Government owned Dublin Airport monopoly. With the introduction of these new SSK rental fees, airlines are now paying three times for the exact same terminal floor space, and neither the Department of Transport, nor the useless Aviation Regulator are willing to do anything about this overcharging.

"The DAA monopoly has yet to explain why there is no rental charge for the installation of kiosks at any of Ryanair's other UK and European airports (including larger airports such as Stansted) and yet the DAA which already charges amongst the highest passenger charges in Europe is now seeking to impose a treble charge on airlines through this kiosk rental fee.

"Ryanair's response to this overcharging is that we won't install these kiosks at Dublin. We will now bring forward plans to migrate all our Dublin passengers to web check-in, so that we can avoid these abusive monopoly rentals, and continue to pass on cost savings in the form of lowest fares to our passengers. Sadly the DAA monopoly will continue to abuse its power at Dublin Airport with initiatives such as treble charging for SSK installations and continuing to raise passenger and parking fees by many times the rate of inflation. The Aviation Regulator in this country is useless and the Department of Transport has long since abandoned passengers, in favour of protecting its airport monopoly.

"Perhaps next year when traffic at Dublin Airport declines (as passenger taxes make Ireland an uncompetitive destination in a recession), and when the DAA monopoly open the white elephant which is Terminal 2, then the Department of Transport and the Government will realise that a high cost, inefficient airport monopoly is strangling the growth and development of traffic and tourism not just at Dublin, but on and off the island of Ireland.

"In the meantime Ryanair will continue to find ways to seek out lower costs at the DAA monopoly and we will speed up the use of web check-in at Dublin in order to avoid passing on these SSK rentals for Ryanair passengers".