Ryanair and Aer Rianta fought each other to a standstill yesterday, after clashing publicly at a lunchtime meeting of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

Guests at the lunch were treated to the chief executive of Ryanair, Mr Michael O'Leary and a representative of Aer Rianta firing salvos of figures at each other over desert.

This followed one of the strongest public attacks on the Stateowned airport operator by any airline. Mr O'Leary was the only officially-listed speaker and, during his speech, said Aer Rianta was an "appalling monopoly".

When he concluded, the public affairs manager of Aer Rianta, Mr Oliver McCann, asked the chamber representatives for a right-of-reply to what he called a "dreadful attack on us".

Mr McCann was told the format of the lunchtime meeting was that only the listed speaker was entitled to speak.

Subsequently, Mr McCann issued a statement to the press, which said that prices charged for duty-free goods on Ryanair flights were considerably higher than those in Aer Rianta's duty free shops. Mr McCann said he was not prepared to see the company he has worked with for 20 years "being dragged through the mud by him [Mr O'Leary]".

When Mr O'Leary joined Mr McCann at the same table, the real fireworks began. Mr McCann rejected the claim that Ryanair paid Aer Rianta £10 million a year. "You do not pay that amount of money to us," he told Mr O'Leary.

Clearly annoyed, Mr O'Leary then tossed the Aer Rianta statement on the table and said that seeing as it was on Aer Rianta paper it must be wrong. He said the statement was an attempt to side-track everyone from the real issue of Aer Rianta's monopoly which is preventing the public from having lower fares.

Mr McCann told Mr O'Leary that Aer Rianta "were the only ones" who supported Ryanair in the early days, by lowering its landing charges. Mr O'Leary said in reply that Aer Rianta should not be allowed to increase landing, charges if duty-free was abolished. "Charges do not have to go up when duty-free goes; if costs are cut, the landing charges could be brought down," said an animated Mr O'Leary.

Eventually Mr McCann and Mr O'Leary went to their corners, although no doubt the two organisations will have many re-matches.