Just read in the local press that around ten regional french airports served by Ryanair might lose those routes due to a triple taxation from the government. Here, Perpignan and Carcassonne have been mentioned so it won’t be long before other regional aiports are named. Love or hate low cost operators, for many of us its the only way to get to see family in the UK that is affordable and nearby. Lets hope sense prevails.
Are they short-haul routes? I know the French government wants to stop flights where there is an equivalent train journey under 2 hours…
Suspect it will be the smaller “now and then” places. Can’t imagine Brive or Clermont surviving - but doubt Limoges will be affected as much locally. They already quit Bordeaux over local fees and they seriously cut their German flights over something similar.
They fly out of 24+ places - so you suspect they’ll jettison everything less profitable.
That’s the snag with budget airlines unfortunately - they operate on such tight margins ( and with a very tight CEO in Michael O’Leary ) it doesn’t take much to make a route not worth their time.
Its only March to end of October from down here but they fly every day to Marrakesch including sundays so that must be profitable. Transavia fly three times per day to Paris and back for the commuters so that must be profitable. They also only fly to Leeds when there is a rugby match on currently.
He banned charging of person mobile phones while at work …
There you go. Tighter than a duck’s…
well, yes … the thing about O’Leary is that he has an eye for the bottom line -“Fair enough, Ted” - and will do anything to max it out. The problem is that he rubs everyone up the wrong way in the process - except perhaps shareholders and the sales dept of Boeing
I imagine he got a good deal on those 737 Maxes - I doubt anyone else wants them!!!
He also has a very good eye for creating publicity.
As per Branson - and despite some of it being pretty negatitive, not to say vituperative, it seems to confirm that old saw, “No such thing as bad publicity”
Perhaps excluding bungs for footie, Taylor Swift gigs and wassername’s addition to her shoe collection.
From what I’ve read in various Press articles…
the French Govt is being criticised for giving financial-aid (public money) to some of the French airports, who are in financial difficulty (because they don’t charge the correct fees to their Airline clients).
The french govt is trying to balance its books and needs to cutback on some of its aid to companies… for the 2025 budget.
plus, use less planes and use more trains… good thing ???
I think my Cunning Plan is to buy a house somewhere within a day’s drive of the northern ferry ports.
He probably has, but orders he was expecting delivery of this winter to serve routes in the summer will now be as much as 2 years late. He, along with several European airlines that buy from Boeing have publicly castigated Boeing recently because of severe delays. Boeing are currently in a real mess and losing money hand over fist in all areas of the business. They’re also in quite a bit of regulatory hot water over working practices and quality control issues. This has led to the FAA forcing them so slow down or stop production lines. And then the strike didn’t help.
I am not a frequent flyer by any means, but I’ve always preferred being cooped up in an Airbus product in preference to a Boeing.
Trains are always going on strike without warning, people are fed up and the prices are astronomical too.
Ryanair has received a fine of 107,7 million euros… for abusive customer charges … hmmm
Did you read the first comment? “It’s a marvel that Trump didn’t pick O’Leary in his cabinet”.
They have but unfortunately Ryanair and several other “low-cost” airlines that have been fined (and had the fines upheld on appeal) are taking it further. They are now saying the fines are based on old pre-EU legislation making them no longer valid.
The Spanish air regulator has to request the Spanish Ministry to impose fines which it has already done to fine Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling Volotea and Norwegian. The airlines appealed under Ministry procedures - and the fines were upheld.
The airlines are taking it further, to court. Worth it for them given the fines they’ve been told to pay are huge. eg Ryanair about 108 million Euros. So highly likely to take years before they pay anything. As the airlines can keep appealing through higher levels of court if the fines keep being upheld.
Their case is that the fines are unlawful under EU law as based on old law pre-dating Spain joining the EU. So they are apparently willing to take it all the way to EU courts hoping for EU to say fines not valid.
Well, if I had to choose between visiting Marrakech and the UK again, I know which one it would be, even though it’s probably changed a tad or so since I was last there (the 1976 - not the 2019 place).