It took the oddest press release since the so-called World Travel Awards when British Airways was highlighted as the finest carrier with a first class service in Europe (BA does not have a first class cabin in Europe), a Michael O'Leary tirade arriving at ABTN headed ”Ryanair Beats BA Hands Down On London- Newquay Route”.
British Airways currently does not have a London ” Newquay air route. Historically Brymon Airways flew Newquay - Heathrow, but when BA took over that airline the valuable slots were soon sacrificed and replaced by Gatwick services, for practical purposes knocking Newquay (and Plymouth too) off the international airline map.
Fast forward and BA sells its south-west operation to Plymouth-based Sutton Harbour plc who engage the former Brymon and Gill Air managing director Malcolm Naylor as CEO. Air Southwest makes a success of Gatwick. Ryanair comes into Newquay from Stansted with a daily service, which is doubled. O”Leary rants about airport charges at Newquay and instead of pulling out (according to reports in the Dublin press he has dropped 17 routes in recent times ” without a single press release to that effect) goes back to a single rotation. Perhaps the truth is the route can”t sustain two flights every day between Cornwall and Essex.
Ryanair's Peter Sherrard is last week quoted thus: "We have checked British Airways' high fares and fuel surcharges on this route (Gatwick ” Newquay). Their fares are at least 50% higher, while the latest punctuality statistics confirm that 3 in 10 BA flights are delayed compared to just half that number with Ryanair.” A blatant frabrication (like the World Travel award).
However some digging and something even stranger emerges. BA is to go Newquay ” Gatwick from 20 March! For the first time within living memory the effective national airline is to take on a minnow carrier on what for them is a major trunk route. BA, with either slots to protect or down time to use up on an aircraft, is adding a single lunchtime Boeing 737 return flight in competition with Air Southwest's four times daily Dash 8 turboprop service. For some curious reason the BA statement mentions its Gatwick-based franchise partner GB Airways, although the service is nothing to do with them.
The Plymouth-based airline, clearly not wishing to promote BA, has wisely kept quiet. But Ryanair, for reasons of its own, has gone berserk.
Will the Ryanair Newquay ” Stansted go? Quietly if it does. And to further deepen the plot Malcolm Naylor has resigned and is to leave Air Southwest at the end of May, starting a conspiracy theory.
With a strange coincidence another ex-Brymon man, Jim Cameron, managing director of Loganair, is departing the Scottish carrier after five years in charge.
Two questions emerge. What on earth is British Airways doing when there are more important commercial problems to solve? And how long has Michael O”Leary left to reign?
BA will sort itself out, but O”Leary ” is this another, admittedly minor, boob? His on-board TVs were quickly dropped. The phones we have heard nothing more about, and sooner or later investors are going to question his no dividend policy and aircraft write-off strategy where he depreciates aircraft over 30 years rather than the industry”s 20.
Michael always emphasises safety but some recent very near misses open even that to questions. His pilot force is in a mood for rebellion. Yes, the crowds follow (in terms of passenger numbers), but history shows that dictators lead until they fall. And then they really fall. As a foreign national has he the right to attack our prime minister elect (and for that that matter is Ryanair a British taxpayer ” it certainly profits from the UK)? What would happen if Sir Michael Bishop took full page ads in the American national papers insulting George Bush? Half of America may not like the man in the White House, but a slur on the president is another thing.
”Ryanair Beats BA Hands Down On London ” Newquay Route” may have been a minor misquote, but it might also be a turning point. We give Mr O”Leary 12 months!
Malcolm Ginsberg
PS. Don”t try and look for the press release on the Ryanair website. On our last visit it had been withdrawn
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