Ryanair, To retain services from Knock
The Board of Knock Airport has announced that it is in negotiation with three airline companies in an effort to get the best possible range of services for people travelling to and from the West of Ireland. Earlier today Ryanair said it is abandoning its plans to pull out of Knock Airport because of a row over a new £6 departure levy being imposed at the airport in the New Year. The two other companies the Airport board is having discussions with are understood to be Virgin Air and Manx Air a subsidiary of British Airways.
In announcing it was abandoning plans to withdraw services from Knock , Ryanair said it is still strongly opposed to the £6 levy but will continue to operate its Knock to London services next year. The chairman of Knock Airport Board, Cathal Duffy, told RTE this morning that because of the substantial profits Ryanair was making on the Knock to London route, it was obvious the company had taken a pragmatic decision to continue the service.
Knock Airport decided to introduce the £6 levy to offset massive losses, which followed the ending of duty free shopping. Ryanair retaliated by announcing that it would discontinue its twice-daily flights between Knock and Stanstead. However, after a week of controversy and criticism during which it was accused of blackmail by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O'Rourke, Ryanair reversed their decision. The board of Knock Airport has been in discussion in recent days with Virgin and Manx in relation to the provision of alternative services between Knock and London.
