Dublin Airport manager DAA has criticised a “discouraging” ruling by the aviation watchdog that it should “reassess” charges it intends to levy against airlines next year.
The airport intends charging airlines €13.05 for each departing passenger in summer and €9.30 in winter, as well as €2.65 for each person transferring from one flight to another at the airport in summer and €2.10 for those transferring in winter.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) published a report on Tuesday confirming a ruling it made in May that the DAA, which is the airport’s operator, should reconsider the tolls. The investigation by the watchdog was carried out on foot of a Ryanair complaint.
The IAA found there was “merit” in four arguments made by Ryanair in its complaint against the levy, but, significantly, it declined to force the hand of the DAA in its ruling, instead urging it to “reassess” the decision.
Nonetheless, the DAA criticised the final ruling on Tuesday. It said it conducted its annual charges review for the airport “in compliance with regulations”, and pointed to “the lack of complaints from other airport users”.
“These annual charges to airlines undergo thorough regulatory scrutiny every year,” the DAA said.
Furthermore, the DAA, said it was “disappointing that Ryanair has challenged our efforts to promote a quieter, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient fleet at Dublin Airport through the proposed charges, which support our sustainability goals and ambitions”.
It added: “It is also discouraging that the IAA has questioned the appropriateness of environmental charges and the Dublin Airport Low Emissions Aircraft Discount incentive, which we introduced as a catalyst for lower noise and CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions.”
It is understood the DAA feels emboldened in its position on the basis that a number of other airlines took different positions to Ryanair in terms of the grounds of its complaint. Sources also stressed the ruling is designed to ensure the basis for charges is reassessed in terms of “relevance, objectivity and transparency”.
The Ryanair complaint challenged the gap between charges for departing and transferring passengers, saying among other things that the airport failed to provide transparent reasons for the differences, which amount to 80 per cent in summer and 77 per cent in winter.
Ryanair also challenged charges for runway movements, based on aircrafts’ weight. Among other issues, the airline argued that larger aircraft flown by rivals paid less per tonne than the Boeing 737-800s that it operates.
In a third point, Ryanair maintained that Dublin’s low-emissions aircraft discount, meant to cut runway and passenger charges by 25 per cent, actually resulted in 12.5 per cent discounts.
It also argued that it proposes higher discounts to heavier aircraft, responsible for more emissions, while ignoring airlines’ efforts to adopt procedures that cut carbon dioxide output.
Dublin Airport proposed introducing a nitrogen oxide charge for each aircraft, anticipating possible breaches of European Union limits, which Ryanair warned would lead to higher charges for aircraft with lower carbon emissions.
The airline also questioned whether nitrogen oxide was an issue at the airport or in the Republic generally.
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