THE EU Transport Commissioner, Mr Neil Kinnock, yesterday stressed the importance of competition in bringing down air fares. He warned airlines charging unsustainable rates that if it could be proved that the charges for transporting people across the Irish Sea were excessive, he would use available powers to require withdrawal of such fares.
Addressing the Seanad, Mr Kinnock agreed that Irish travellers paid prohibitive airline fares to destinations such as Brussels - the £500 return ticket was more than the average business man should have to pay. It was intolerable that a private individual should have to pay so much.
Mr Kinnock said a report from his section of the Commission last week showed 10 new airlines had entered 15 domestic markets within the EU since 1993. It had also been shown that 55 per cent of those flying within the EU went by chartered flight and 71 per cent of those who did not had travelled on PEX, APEX or by special fares.