DAA chief accuses O'Leary of trying to insult Shannon airport's interests

THE CHAIRMAN of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), David Dilger, has accused Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary of trying to insult Shannon airport’s interests.

Mr Dilger made his comments after stating that Shannon would break even next year. He confirmed the airport lost about €16 million for 2010 and 2009, but was on course to make a smaller loss this year.

At an event organised by the Shannon Chamber of Commerce in Bunratty Castle hotel yesterday, Mr Dilger said: “I don’t think Shannon will turn a profit this year, but it is well on the way to becoming sustainable. It is very important to us that we make it break even by 2012, that is the plan and that is what we will do.

Mr Dilger said Shannon was in a better financial situation than it was during the five-year Ryanair deal.

Stating he would not enter that kind of deal again, Mr Dilger said: “The financial situation and profitability at Shannon with the far lower number of passengers is much better now than it was then.”

Mr Dilger was speaking to reporters after earlier having his press briefing in the lobby of the hotel disrupted by Mr O’Leary’s presence.

Before retreating to a room off the lobby for his press briefing, Mr Dilger shook hands with Mr O’Leary and said he was “surprised” and “delighted” to see him.

Mr O’Leary said: “Remember our plan for one million extra passengers,” to which Mr Dilger responded: “I would love to have every single one of them. Bring them on.”

Earlier this week, the DAA rejected Ryanair’s offer to increase passenger numbers by one million at Shannon. Mr O’Leary earlier told reporters that Shannon airport “is dying”.

However, commenting later on Mr O’Leary’s presence at the hotel, Mr Dilger said: “Actually, as much as it pains me to say it, I think the little event today is an attempt to con and insult the community to whom the future of Shannon is quite important.”

Outlining why the DAA had rejected Ryanair’s offer, Mr Dilger said: “I’m afraid Michael’s purported generosity to the community of Limerick and Shannon is not really sustainable. We are certainly not going to pay him to bring passengers in. There is no business that I have ever seen that has a sustainable future by paying customers to deal with it.”

In response to Mr O’Leary’s claim he was offering the only growth at Shannon, he said: “Unprofitable growth to our business is exactly as valuable as unprofitable growth to any other business. You can have my share of unprofitable growth. I’d rather have profitable, sustainable growth, albeit taking place at a slower level.”