AER RIANTA has defended its refusal to pay what it described as £20,000 "marketing support" to Ryanair to locate its new Boeing jets at Cork Airport, and it insisted that the landing fee terms offered to Ryanair at the airport were extremely generous. Ryanair has confirmed it sought the payment.
According to Aer Rianta Cork Airport general manager, Mr Joe O'Connor, Ryanair had sought "a £20,000 special marketing contribution" to put its new $30 million Boeing 737-800 jets on its Cork-Stansted route.
Mr O'Connor said Ryanair had done much to stimulate business at Cork Airport but Aer Rianta could not operate successfully by giving such money to one airline and not to others.
Mr O'Connor conceded that Aer Rianta does get involved in marketing routes with operators, but he had decided to refuse the Ryanair request for £20,000 as he believed the company was already getting generous terms.
However Ryanair commercial manager, Mr Michael Cawley, rejected Mr O'Connor's claim that Cork Airport's terms were very generous.