Ryanair hits back at Air Malta

Ryanair yesterday rejected Air Malta's "attempts to justify its outrageous fuel surcharge", saying the price of fuel has similarly increased for Ryanair "who have not and never will impose a fuel surcharge".

It was replying to a statement issued last week by Air Malta which rebutted Ryanair's criticism of the national airline's fuel surcharge policy.

Ryanair said it makes no excuse for making every effort to reduce the cost of flying for its customers, including seeking cost reductions from all its partners, including airports, many of which, like Malta International, "enjoy a monopoly status in the regions they serve".

These airports, Ryanair said, have made massive profits at the expense of passengers in the past but Ryanair "will continue to champion the consumers' interest even if Air Malta would rather slap on excessive, outrageous and unjustified fuel surcharges".

Commenting on Air Malta's statement last week, Ryanair's deputy chief executive officer Michael Cawley, said yesterday in Dublin: "Lawrence Zammit (Air Malta chairman) has said that we've quoted the incorrect average flight price for Air Malta. I now challenge him to publish their average fare and let's find out if it's really only 150 per cent more expensive than Ryanair rather than the 227 per cent which we had published.

"Either way, Air Malta has been ripping off consumers for years and continues to do so with the imposition of these outrageous and unjustified fuel surcharges. In common with all airlines, Ryanair has to cope with increased fuel prices but we will never, ever, introduce a fuel surcharge".