A long-running dispute between Ryanair and Kerry airport over the collection of airport development fees from passengers has ended.Ryanair has agreed to pay landing charges and signed a new 10-year agreement, restoring those Kerry-London Stansted flights which had been withdrawn because of a dispute over landing fees last month.
Since April 22nd Ryanair had stopped daily flights to and from Kerry, instead flying to Farranfore just three days each week.
The airline fought the airport on the controversial passenger levy introduced in 1999 and, while Aer Arann and Aer Lingus passengers had to pay the £5 levy, Ryanair passengers did not.
The matter was the subject of litigation until yesterday's announcement. Ryanair has now agreed to collect the fee for the airport as part of its ticket charges.
Mr Peter Bellew, Kerry airport spokesman, yesterday described the 10- year agreement for Kerry as "the equivalent of Shannon getting a brand new transatlantic service."
As a regional airport it had been used to dealing in the short term, and the comfort of a long-term contract could only benefit tourism, he said.
The airline has withdrawn all outstanding litigation.
From July 18th the daily service to London Stansted is to be restored, and next year there will be an additional daily flight to Stansted for six months over the tourist season, bringing in an additional 50,000 passengers.
Kerry handles more than 4,000 flights annually and caters for around 160,000 passengers, with runways capable of handling Boeing 767s and Airbus A300s.
In the next few weeks the first chartered continental flights are due in with the Swiss airline, and a Swiss tour operator bringing more than 100 tourists once a week.
Mr Denis Cregan, chairman of Kerry airport, described the agreement as "a huge investment by Ryanair in Kerry tourism".