SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of October, 2003
RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
Yes ..... No ..X..
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
RYANAIR TO SUE AIR MEDITERRANEE
OVER FALSE ALLEGATIONS
Ryanair, Europe's No.1 low fares airline today announced that it is to sue Aer
Mediterranee for false allegations made in the media. Air Mediterranee have
claimed that Ryanair's low fares scheduled services to Pau airport near the
Pyrenees have decreased their charter traffic at a completely different airport.
In fact, official CAA statistics confirm that Air Mediterranee's traffic at
Tarbes has actually increasedby over 70% since Ryanair's arrival at Pau.
Announcing details of the court action, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael
O'Leary said:
"
1. Air Mediterranee as a charter airline does not compete with Ryanair
(or anyother airline) for passengers. In common with all charter airlines it
sells all of its seat capacity to tour operators and it is the tour
operators who take the risk not the airline.
2. Whilst Air Mediterranee runs a small number of weekly charter flights during
the Summer period only between London and Tarbes Lourdes International
Airport, the total traffic carried by tour operators using Air Mediterranee
during 2002 (the last year prior to Ryanair's arrival at Pau) amounted to
only 5,000 passengers, which is equivalent to less than 1 month's traffic on
Ryanair's low fare scheduled services between Stansted and Pau.
3. Air Mediterranee's claim that it has lost 30% of its clientele on its
"route" between London and Tarbes Lourdes Airport is factually untrue. In
fact the opposite case is proven by the official CAA statistics. The claim
by Air Mediterranee's Managing Director, Mr Antoine Ferreti that its
business has been affected by Ryanair's low fare services from London to Pau
is clearly untrue.
4. The CAA official statistics (see attached) for the London-Tarbes Lourdes
route confirm that in 2003 year to date traffic on the charter flights
operated by Air Mediterranee up to the end of August 2003 has increased by
over 70%from 4,900 to 8,500 passengers.
Air Mediterranee have suffered no damage whatsoever ( in fact its traffic has
risen by 70%) as a result of Ryanair's low fare services to Pau. This is just
the latest attempt by French airlines to misuse the local administrative
tribunal process in France to block competition, choice and low fare air travel
developing at the French regional airports.
Ryanair and the Chamber of Commerce in Pau will also be asking the
courts in Pau to dismiss the Air Mediterranee lawsuit and to send a
message to all other French airlines that the regional airports and
French consumers want to promote and welcome low fare air travel to and
from the regions of France.
At a time when the merger of Air France and KLM will create the biggest
European mega carrier airline, there is an even more important need for
low fares airlines such as Ryanair to provide low fares, direct flights
and competition to these mega carriers and also to provide local people
in the regions of France and Europe with direct access to destinations
other than Paris Charles de Gaulle."
Official C.A.A. passenger statistics - Air Mediterranee route
London-Lourdes
MONTH PASSENGERS - 2002 PASSENGERS - 2003
MARCH 128 -
APRIL 509 553
MAY 1280 2876
JUNE 1101 1203
JULY 882 1246
AUGUST 998 2498
TOTAL 4898 8376 +70%
(Source: official C.A.A. traffic statistics)
Ends 16th October 2003
For further information
please contact: Paul Fitzsimmons Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Murray Consultants
Tel. +353-1-8121212 Tel. +353-1-4980300
(Full C.A.A. statistics for Air Mediterranee London- Lourdes route attached).
UK - TARBRES-LOURDES INTERNATIONAL PAX 2002-2003 Air Mediterranee
AIR MED UK - Flights Capacity Pax
LOURDES PAX BY
MONTH 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003
January
February
March 1 130 128
April 5 5 650 1,118 509 675
May 18 32 2,356 5,930 1,543 4,329
June 17 14 2,210 2,762 1,704 1,549
July 11 33 1,520 5,814 1,132 4,312
August 17 25 2,386 4,322 1,591 3,356
September 14 1,820 1,305
October 12 1,740 1,462
November
December
Total UK-TARBRES 95 109 12,812 19,946 9,374 14,221
UK-TARBRES Year to 69 109 9,252 19,946 6,607 14,221
date
AIR MED LONDON - Flights Capacity Pax
LOURDES PAX BY
MONTH 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003
January
February
March 1 130 128
April 5 4 650 790 509 553
May 16 21 2,088 4,410 1,280 2,876
June 12 11 1,560 2,088 1,101 1,203
July 9 9 1,174 1,754 882 1,246
August 11 19 1,520 3,370 998 2,498
September 14 1,820 1,305
October 8 1,220 971
November
December
Total 76 64 10,162 12,412 7,174 8,376
LONDON-TARBRES
LONDON-TARBRES 54 64 7,122 12,412 4,898 8,376
Year to date
AIR MED LOURDES Flights Capacity Pax
PAX BY ORIGIN 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003
FULL YTD FULL YTD FULL YTD
BELFAST 13 18 1,698 2,520 1,468 2,081
INTERNATIONAL
BIRMINGHAM 2 260 231
EDINBURGH 2 440 358
EXETER 1 130 119
GATWICK 2 440 419
GLASGOW 2 440 376
JERSEY 1 234 64
LEEDS BRADFORD 2 260 254
LIVERPOOL 4 11 692 2,092 501 1,608
LUTON 74 2 9,722 260 6,967 220
MANCHESTER 1 328 122
NEWCASTLE 1 130 82
PRESTWICK 6 960 781
STANSTED 2 60 440 11,712 207 7,737
Total UK 95 109 12,812 19,946 9,374 14,221
-TARBRES
Total 76 64 10,162 12,412 7,174 8,376
LONDON-TARBRES
AIR MED LOURDES Flights Capacity Pax
PAX BY ORIGIN YTD
to end AUG 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003
YTD YTD YTD YTD YTD YTD
BELFAST 11 18 1,438 2,520 1,208 2,081
INTERNATIONAL
EDINBURGH 2 440 358
EXETER 1 130 119
GATWICK 2 440 419
GLASGOW 2 440 376
JERSEY 1 234 64
LEEDS BRADFORD 2 260 254
LIVERPOOL 4 11 692 2,092 501 1,608
LUTON 54 2 7,122 260 4,898 220
MANCHESTER 1 328 122
NEWCASTLE 1 130 82
PRESTWICK 6 960 781
STANSTED 60 11,712 7,737
Total UK - TARBRES 69 109 9,252 19,946 6,607 14,221
Year to date
Total LONDON - 54 64 7,122 12,412 4,898 8,376
TARBRES Year to
date
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
Date: 16 October 2003
By:___/s/ Howard Millar____
H Millar
Company Secretary & Finance Director