AENA ALICANTE’S TRAFFIC FALLS BY OVER 640,000 (11%) IN 2012 FOLLOWING AIRBRIDGES DISPUTE WITH RYANAIR

RYANAIR OFFERS TO GROW BUT ONLY IF UNNECCESSARY AIRBRIDGES ARE REMOVED

2012-08-24 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low cost airline, today (22 Aug) revealed AENA Alicante’s January-July traffic has now fallen by over 640,000 (-11%) in the first 7 months of 2012, after decisions by Ryanair and other airlines to cut flights following AENA’s forced use of unnecessary airbridges and airbridge fees since November.

These record traffic declines disprove AENA’s claims that “other airlines” would make replace Ryanair’s lost traffic proves that AENA Alicante and its high charges are turning away passengers.

AENA ALICANTE TRAFFIC JAN – JUL 2012

	2011 (‘000)	2012 (‘000)	Cumul. (‘000)
Jan	481	424	– 56 (-12%)
Feb	523	455	– 67 (-13%)
Mar	666	603	– 63 (-10%)
Apr	889	769	-130 (-15%)
May	945	826	-119 (-13%)
Jun	1,006	897	-108 (-11%)
Jul	1,173	1,076	– 97 (- 8%)
Total	5,696	5,052	-643 (-11%)

Ryanair again called on AENA Alicante to reverse this unnecessary airbridge use and fees on airlines who don’t want or need them. While AENA Alicante is losing routes, passengers and income, Ryanair continues to grow at over 150 other EU airports, where there are no forced airbridges, which are not a safety issue.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Ryanair predicted that AENA Alicante would lose traffic and jobs as a result of these unnecessary airbridges and fees, whereas AENA claimed that other airlines would make up for Ryanair’s traffic loss. AENA Alicante lost over 97,000 passengers in July, an 8% drop over July 2011, making a total loss of almost 644,000 so far in 2012, in what is yet another example of AENA mismanaging Alicante Airport.

“It is not too late for Alicante to reverse this failed airbridge policy and allow Ryanair to return to walk on/walk off boarding procedures which applied to all Ryanair flights at Alicante from 2007 until 2011. If they don’t, then AENA Alicante will continue to lose routes, traffic and jobs through their own mismanagement.”

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