600,000 NEW PASSENGERS IF AENA WITHDRAWS COMPULSORY AIRBRIDGES (AND FEES)
8 DAYS FOR AENA TO RESPOND OR LOSE NEW PAX & JOBS
2012-11-08 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ryanair, Spain’s No 1 airline, today (7 Nov) welcomed the support of Alicante’s hoteliers who are backing Ryanair’s proposal to reverse much of Alicante’s 1m passenger loss in 2012, if Alicante withdraws its compulsory airbridge use (and fees) on all Ryanair flights at Alicante in 2013.
Ryanair met with local hoteliers from Alicante (HOSBEC) at the World Travel Market in London yesterday (6 Nov) and received their unanimous backing for Ryanair’s 2013 growth plans at Alicante Airport. Ryanair has submitted 2013 growth proposals to AENA Alicante which will deliver 600,000 new passengers at Alicante in the year starting April 2013, in return only for permitting Ryanair to return to its walk on/walk off procedures on all of its flights.
Ryanair has asked AENA Alicante to respond to this 600,000 offer on/before Thursday 15th November next to enable Ryanair to include this substantial Alicante growth in its summer 2013 plans. Ryanair confirmed that if Alicante accepts its 600,000 passenger growth proposal, then up to 600 new jobs could be created and/or sustained at Alicante Airport at a time of high and rising unemployment in Spain, particularly amongst youths.
In Alicante, Ryanair’s Niall O’Connor said:
“Ryanair can help recover much of the 1m passenger loss which Alicante Airport has suffered in 2012 as a result of this misguided compulsory airbridge use policy. Ryanair met with Alicante’s hoteliers yesterday, who are suffering from the 1m drop in passenger numbers at Alicante Airport, and received their full backing for our growth proposals.
Ryanair has always maintained that we would return to growth at Alicante whenever our flights are permitted to resume using our walk on/walk off boarding procedures. Currently Alicante allows approx 50% of Ryanair’s flights to us these procedures and if Alicante extends this to all Ryanair flights, then Alicante Airport will resume rapid traffic growth with Ryanair from April 2013.
We hope that AENA Alicante will accept Ryanair’s offer and that Ryanair and Alicante can begin growing again in 2013 and create more visitors, more tourism and more jobs for young people in Alicante.”
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