MIA must reduce costs to encourage tourism - Ryanair

Ryanair has called upon Malta International Airport to stop claiming that its airport charges were within the EU average.

In a statement, the airline, which operates from 146 airports in 26 countries, said it paid an average of €7.80 per passenger for airport charges last year and believed that any objective analysis of charges by airport operators should review the charges it paid.

When MIA’s existing cost of almost €20 per passenger was combined with handling costs of €5 per passenger at Malta, the total passenger cost was more than three times Ryanair’s average cost.

It was such excessive costs from a monopolist private company that were holding Malta’s tourism industry to ransom with MIA only interested in lining the pockets of their shareholders, Ryanair accused.

Ryanair’s Colin Casey said:

“If MIA is genuinely interested in the Maltese economy, it should reduce its airport charges by offering a volume discount scheme in return for guaranteed growth. Such a scheme would be open to all airlines that achieve the necessary growth criteria, on a clear and transparent basis.

“This would stimulate passenger traffic which will have a direct impact on the tourism and leisure industries whilst also improving the business prospects for Malta. Cost reduction schemes have recently been announced by the Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments in an attempt to reverse their declining tourism trends and MIA should follow suit.”