Bang! We last spoke about the saga when the MIA unpublished report was reported in the Times. Ryanair have 'replied' with a press conference also reported in the Times. I love the part where in reply to allegations that Ryanair only carries cheap tourists Mr. Cawley states that Tony Blair has chosen Ryanair three times out of five for his holiday destinations. Now that's a Q.E.D. if ever there was one eh!
Here is more of the music:
"Mr Cawley urged Malta to follow the success of Ryanair's new route to Riga, Latvia. In seven months, the airline carried 650,000 passengers to the Baltic country and hotels practically cannot keep up with the influx. "And with all due respect, Riga is not even remotely as attractive as Malta."
But Ryanair estimates it would cost it �25 per passenger to operate to Malta - a figure made up of airport and handling charges, plus government-related security costs. MIA's discounted offer of �19 to all airlines to certain destinations was still not attractive for Ryanair, Mr Cawley said, given that most other airports it was operating to were charging just �7.50.
MIA once again came under attack, with Mr Cawley saying that a private monopoly did not have the social interests of the people at heart. He urged the airport to slash its rates to all airlines, provided they guaranteed big numbers in return."
But Ryanair estimates it would cost it �25 per passenger to operate to Malta - a figure made up of airport and handling charges, plus government-related security costs. MIA's discounted offer of �19 to all airlines to certain destinations was still not attractive for Ryanair, Mr Cawley said, given that most other airports it was operating to were charging just �7.50.
MIA once again came under attack, with Mr Cawley saying that a private monopoly did not have the social interests of the people at heart. He urged the airport to slash its rates to all airlines, provided they guaranteed big numbers in return."
There you have it. Straight from the horse's mouth. Valletta like Riga? Where oh where could the problem lie? Any answers? Fausto? Bocca?
4 commentaires:
I have just read your insert regarding Ryanair and I must admit that I�d much rather not have read it as it makes my blood boil and I might just about take a day off and drink cups of camomilla until I cool down or something along those lines...
This is such a crazy situation:
I cannot believe how the Maltese are being cheated whilst unsavoury individuals laugh all the way to the bank after buying loads of rubbish planes that are useless. I don�t know why all the bother of pushing for stupid golf courses (and therefore higher taxes due to the increase in the undoubted eventual increase in the price of water) and building loads of hotels when we cannot inject capital into our economy via tourism i.e. Ryanair which is bound to create loads of jobs too.
Do our leaders forget that we are a rock without any natural resources and that selling our history and services is all we cand do. Does it take a rocket scientist to realise that we have a deficit and that the economy needs a boost?!
In order to safeguard the jobs of Airmalta employees the government allows the monopoly to persist EVEN slapping on a departure tax whilst hoping that Airmalta in the meantime manages to become more competitive. Pigs can fly! Has anyone ever tried calling Airmalta in Malta itself using the number available on the website? You will be treated to a nasal rendition of `aaawwww` that would be the envy of the barefoot village bumpkin wearing shorts sitting on the bench with his fellow wastrels (those of whom are under 60 probably in government employment)in the village square! Not to mention the sad adverts of �if it�s Malta it�s Airmalta� ads constantly being screened on MTV that make the 80s adverts of Catch chocolate and Mini Mint look like Oscar material in comparison!
In islands such as Noumea that are totally dependant on tourism (like Malta) the locals will ring a taxi for tourists any hour of the day (i.e. even night) as all the tourists need do if lost is ring a doorbell of the aforesaid local. I can just imagine what would happen to the poor tourist if that occurred in Malta! However whilst I agree that I don�t want to wake up at 2am to help Harry get a taxi (the taxi service is another story) I think we can at least make it cheaper for tourists to come over and boost our economy!
If Airmalta and MIA are such a hindrance close them down. I know this will never happen as the Government that bites the bullet will be afraid of losing too many votes (not necessarily if one sees the risks that Koizumi has taken in Japan but oh well political balls seem to be only rising in the east nowadays). However I cannot see why the Govt. hesitates so much in employing the professionals with a tertiary degree that it so desperately needs to make its partnership with the EU a success whilst then bending over backwards to keep the useless louts in MIA and Airmalta in a job when all they do is make the economic crisis worse!
At least give us one crystal clear reason why Ryanair can�t come to Malta! It�s cheaper to fly to America rather than to Malta from continental Europe for Christ�s sake!
Well, that tirade seems to have calmed me down...thank God for the J�Accuse blog!
MIA once again came under attack, with Mr Cawley saying that a private monopoly did not have the social interests of the people at heart.
Yes, it is a pity that Malta is not attractive enough for Ryanair. But I don't quite think Mr Cawley is spending a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the social interests of the people of Malta!
Would Fausto be placated if we said that the commercial interests of Ryanair are more attuned (not necessarily by intention) to the interests of the majority of the people of malta than the political and protective interests of MIA, Government and Air Malta?
By the way... to come down to Malta on Halloween it costs me just as much to use the ever-so-expensive Luxair than Air Malta (+return train to Brussels). That is the state we are in... as expensive inbound as outbound!
Fausto - so you think the powers that be that keep a monopoly over airmalta have sleepless nights about the �interests of the people of Malta�???
They have sleepless nights worrying about Ryanair coming in and opening everyone�s mind through cheap flights and boosting the economy!
Dejjem biex inxahhmu l-istess hanzir tajbin ahna!
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