Sir , – I was checking flights to Malaga for early February. The cheapest flight is €350 from Dublin. A check of six airports in the UK from Belfast to London showed directs flights under £50, with Belfast being at cheapest at £19.32. While the prices will move daily, this huge price difference is not a once-off occurrence. Dublin flights are a multiple price of the UK throughout the year. Why would this be? Maybe many reasons but my sense is that it is largely due to the fact that Irish residents have become relatively wealthy in a short space of time. Judging by passengers on these flights this wealth is spread across a broad range of social groups. Too much money chasing limited resources causes the “Malaga flight phenomenon”. The same is happening to prices of houses, rent, restaurants, hotels and most other things that are far more expensive here than in other European countries.
Strong economic success has its downsides. But maybe a bit more focus on and appreciation of the success of this country is warranted. – Yours, etc,
AM BRADY,
Dublin4.