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 November, 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 RESPONDS TO EASYJET'S STATEMENT ON AIRPORT OPERATION
Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today (Monday, 10th November 2003)
referred to the Easyjet statement on airport operations as being "a tissue of
obfuscation, half truths and lies."
1. *Easyjet's airport "philosophy" has always been to try to copy Ryanair,
namely to negotiate long-term, low cost arrangements using efficient
facilities and pass on the benefit of these low costs in the form of lower
fares.
2. *Contrary to the Easyjet press releases which advances the fiction that
Easyjet uses "central major city airports", Ryanair pointed out that over
80% of Easyjet's operations are focused on secondary/regional airports such
as London Luton, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle, East Midlands,
Glasgow and Edinburgh. Only a tiny fraction of Easyjet's operations are
based at Charles de Gaulle, Schiphol and London Gatwick.
3. *Easyjet has been the major beneficiary of long-term low cost arrangements
put in place by these airports following the Southwest/Ryanair low cost
airport model. The fact that Easyjet isn't as good as Ryanair at negotiating
a low cost base and that their air fares are on average twice the level of
Ryanair's doesn't alter the fact that Easyjet's philosophy is to copy
Ryanair's approval to airports.
4. *Easyjet in fact adopted the Ryanair model in June of 2003 when it launched
a campaign to invite Europe's airports to tender for Easyjet's business with
packages of start up charges, marketing supports and long-term (20 year)
contractual agreements. Easyjet themselves confirmed that over 84 airports
have submitted bids for its business. Last week Easyjet announced that it
had concluded the first such 20 year agreement with Berlin Schonefeld
Airport - a publicly owned airport - which puts Easyjet in exactly the same
boat as Ryanair is in Brussels Charleroi.
The issue now facing the European Commission investigation in Charleroi is one
of precedent. Will they in their decision allow and enable publicly owned
airports such as Brussels Charleroi and Berlin Schonefeld to compete against
privately owned airports such as Frankfurt Hahn or London Luton to provide
long-term discounted cost bases for low fares airlines in return for rapid new
route and traffic growth.
Alternatively if the Commission gets the decision wrong it is inevitable that
the growth of low fare airlines will be confined to privately owned airports
only and that the lobbyists for the high fares airlines and the high cost
airport monopolies such as Brussels Zaventem will have succeeded in turning back
the close on competition, lower fares and more choice for consumers for the next
20 years.
The least Easyjet could do if it wishes to participate in this debate is be
honest about its airport policies. They may not be as good as Ryanair in
negotiating low cost airport arrangements and their fares certainly aren't as
low as Ryanair's but the same principles are involved in Easyjet's Berlin
Schonefeld deal as in Ryanair's Charleroi deal. If the Commission forces Ryanair
to close our Brussels Charleroi base, how long will it be before Easyjet's
similar low cost base at Berlin Schonefeld will be attacked by competitors under
the pretext of these State air rules.
Ends. Monday, 10th November 2003
For further information
please contact:
Paul Fitzsimmons Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Murray Consultants
Tel. 353-1-8121212 Tel. 353-1-4980300
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: 10 November, 2003
By:___/s/ Howard Millar____
H Millar
Company Secretary & Finance Director