Madam, - I read with some amusement the letter from Mr Gareth McDaid (October 17th) on the future ownership of Aer Lingus.
Madam, - I read with some amusement the letter from Mr Gareth McDaid (October 17th) on the future ownership of Aer Lingus.
If Ireland is dependent on Aer Lingus for inbound tourism then it's obvious why Irish tourism is in the mess that it is at the moment. The reality is that Aer Lingus operates no more routes today in and out of Ireland than it did in 1960.
The idea that there is some strategic imperative in having a publicly owned airline is not borne out by the facts. Ryanair carries significantly more people into this country than Aer Lingus does on equivalent routes. Aer Lingus currently operates five routes to Britain while Ryanair operates 17.
Ryanair's proposals to the Government for a competing terminal at Dublin Airport to which Ryanair will respond with up to 15 new routes, 5 million passengers and 5,000 new jobs is the single most important initiative proposed for the Irish tourism industry in the past decade.
It doesn't matter who owns Aer Lingus. What is important is that it is not mistaken as an issue of strategic importance for the Irish people or Irish tourism. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL CAWLEY, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, Ryanair, Dublin Airport