NEWQUAY AIRPORT has come into national prominence with Ryanair pulling a publicity stunt by withdrawing 12 services per week to and from its Stansted hub. Ryanair says that passengers cannot afford a ”5 levy towards developing the underused but only scheduled airport in Cornwall but a closer examination would seem to indicate over capacity by the airline. Clearly the increase from an initial daily service with a 150-seat Boeing 737 to up to three flights per day with a 180-seat 737-800 was more than the market could take through the winter period. The argument runs that if Ryanair was not happy with the arrangements at what is still RAF St Mawgan it should have withdrawn completely and allowed others in to take their chance. That is not the Ryanair style. In 2002 76,000 passengers flew the route (daily), 135,126 in 2003 and 167,445 last year. In 2005 the numbers are still on the increase, a rise of 21% showing for June. Rival Air South West (the former Brymon), who fly to Gatwick, lost passengers last year the statistics showing a small fall overall this time around but encouraging figures for June give 35%, an increase over the same period in 2004. The general thought is that Ryanair will be back with a double daily next summer O”Leary claiming that passengers are pleading with him. ABTN plans a review shortly of a new book ”Ryanair ” How a small Irish airline conquered Europe” by Siobhan Creaton.
http://www.ryanair.com
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/Newsdesk