Ryanair promises to help reverse tourism decline if costs are reduced

Jf Bartolo

Sep 25th 2009, 20:35

I flew with RyanAir once and thank god never again. This irish cheapie should have never started service in Malta, they are more trouble then they are worth and i can forsee that this cheapie will end up the same way as Laker airline.

Mary Debono

Sep 25th 2009, 20:31

@M>Bezzina i second that and we agree with you, after all now that the British pound is hardly worth a cent, i think RyanAir should concentrate mainly on the German and the Dutch market and foreget the British market. they are not big spenders and certainly not now that their sterling is gradually going to bye byes and it will be a long time yet before their stupid pound picks up again. However saying this i will never fly RyanAir for obvious reasons one main reason IS hidden charges regarding luggage and also very bad customer care service. AIRMALTA ALWAYS THE BEST AT LEAST WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND.

M.Bezzina

Sep 24th 2009, 23:10

What is hindering MIA for reducing the charges at least for winter? We need more tourism especially for winter when in Europe all mostly dark or wet!!
And more routes from Ryanair such as Germany and Holland not only operating mostly from UK only!! Germans and Dutch should be well served as well!!

D Cutajar

Sep 24th 2009, 22:31

It seems that Ryanair have entered into a loop and cannot get out of it, always moaning about the same issue. Ryanair please grow up! You have to either decide to do busines with Malta as all other airlines have been doing for decades or else pack up and leave. If you have to lobby for better rates and charges, the proper way to negotiate is to unite with other airlines and sit around a table with MIA and the government. It's very unfair and unethical to try to force your way by persisting in issuing public statements.

Robert Agius

Sep 24th 2009, 22:15

@ all against ryanair

Cheapest flight back for me home is through Ryanair.......in fact it will cost me about a quarter of what i would need to pay with Airmalta.....

Jean-Pierre Aquilina

Sep 24th 2009, 21:57

I can already see the Ryanair's ad:

"Enjoy a fantastic holiday in Malta. Beautiful churches, lovely weather, welcoming people, and low airport charges". There. We now have the edge over our competitors.

alfred curmi

Sep 24th 2009, 21:05

Is there no end to Ryanair crying "WOLF"!!! Could they, in the mean time, enlighten us whether they are going to start charging for using the plane's toilet facilities as was proposed some time ago? Or have they finally woken up to the fact that not all passengers are suckers?

Gerry Cowke

Sep 24th 2009, 20:40

If Ryanair are prepared to drop all their silly charges and increase baggage allowances to allow tourists to take luggage with them etc etc etc then, fine! But I don't think they will promise to do that!
They should look at reducing their own exhorbitant costs before asking airports to reduce theirs! Fares which seem initially cheap soon add up to more or less what the others charge anyway!
Air Malta for me!

Brian O'shea

Sep 24th 2009, 20:38

If i were RyanAir's boss i would just tell Malta - Finito Sunshine and concentrate on the Italian market, very simple and stop this cat and mouse game with their silly antics.

M. Zarb

Sep 24th 2009, 20:04

Well- whenever RyanAir have one of their £1 sales, they list loads of airports for "from £1", and then at the end of the list, Malta for "from £30-something". Tourists looking for low prices would probably go towards the £1 end of the scale and ignore Malta altogether...

C Cassar

Sep 24th 2009, 19:52

Again, Ryan Air showing that they just can't compete when a secondary airport miles away from the destination they advertise, doesn't exist. No other airline has asked for a reduction in landing fees which in effect is a special subsidy.

Ryan Air are repeatedly more expensive, provide a dire service, are more than often delayed providing no information and constantly berate other airlines rather than sing about their own clearly terrible product.

Again, O'Leary asks for unfair subsidies because he can't handle any competition from any main airport in Europe. What happened to the millions of extra tourists he promised? Complete fiction. It's about time that MIA revoked Ryan Air's contract and effectively kick them out of Malta.

Will Nicholls

Sep 24th 2009, 19:26

I am sure higher visitor numbers coming to Malta is a good thing in these economic times. As a very knowledgable Maltese businessman said to me in confidence the other day, the recession problems in Malta are yet to come.

Proactive and pre-emptive government decision making is a sovereign duty.

If clear government directives alligned to joined up thinking were to eventually perculate into the Maltese conciousness, then how about Malta becoming THE green island in the med like it used to be in the 50,s.

Proper sweet water collection, a large resevoir to water the prosperous horticultural business that could once again thrive here, while simultaneously building a modern hydro plant to radically reduce the soaring fixed costs of business on the island.
How about it Malta? How about Ryan Air and Air Malta bringing tourists who want to come back again and again.

How about Malta becoming a leader in the Med instead of a follower? sounds good to me.

David Hill

Sep 24th 2009, 18:25

Once again we hear ryan air bleeting about charges, For myself and the wife to fly to Malta on 21st Nov and back on 28thNov. with 2 bags would cost
£198.80 with Air Malta, including in flight food.
£176.42 with Ryanair No food, and £20 for the privlidge of booking in on line.
and £153.96 with Easy Jet again no food but no complaints about charges
I know which one I WONT be flying with.

J Brincat

Sep 24th 2009, 18:23

Was it a wise govemenrt decision to privitise MIA? But then beggers cannot be choosers when faced an acute cash flow shortage!

N. Bonello

Sep 24th 2009, 18:14

BTW while on the subject of Air Travel.

Why is the FUEL SURCHARGE still being levied ? As we all know the times of the fuel price hike is over.

Sergio Galea Vincenti

Sep 24th 2009, 17:53

Well.... everyone becomes a good salesman by undercutting prices! The trick is having a competitive price, a value for money product and a convincing marketing strategy...

A strategy to boost tourism should not just be based on price - even though I would hasten to add that if RyanAir and other low cost airlines may have received a subsidy from the Government, then it makes much more sense to instead level out the playing field for our national airline which has since its inception done so much to get tourists to Malta.

Furthermore, we must all stop whining about the usual problems we have (construction sites, unwelcoming people, filth, arrogant taxi drivers, etc) and instead INSIST with our politicians to pull their socks up and take those actions which have kept for too long getting piled under the proverbial carpet.

Likewise, operators in the hotel, catering and leisure sectors should ask whether all of them are contributing in a positive manner and oust from their midst in a very public manner those abusing local and foreign tourists.

It is up us, in Malta, to act and it's useless to try blaming the international recession!

Brian Maloret

Sep 24th 2009, 17:39

Neville Cassar I was reading some weeks ago that since the pound sterling started to plummet against the euro many holiday destinations such as Spain and Itlay are not only reducing airport charges but that local traders are reducing the cost of food, drink, etc in an attempt to continually attract British tourists to their respective countries. The Maltese at both Government and local level seem to be shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to tourism. Because of the poor exchange rate and the rising cost of living it now costs me more to live in Malta than it would living in the UK as is evidenced by many of my friends who have lived here for a number of years returning to live in the UK on a permanent basis. Given that the number of tourists coming to Malta has declined by 200,000 in the past year wouldn't it be an idea for everyone to review their costs because once tourists stop coming to the Island they may be lost forever.

david Stellini

Sep 24th 2009, 17:21

I am no particular fan of Ryanair, and in fact prefer flying with vuelling rather than ryaniar to Barcelona, for example. However the winning point of low cost airlines , is that they fly you point to point very cheaply, rather than flying through a main airport (hub) to get to your final destination. This is what is encourging people to take short trips abroad as on bank holidays, or a quick shopping spree, or sightseeing 3 day trip.
The big mistake by Airmalta is that where it has no competition , its prices are crazy . take Paris for example, prices are Eur 450 to de Gaulle or Eur 500 to Orly return (or vice versa).
So AirMalta prefers to fly half or 60% empty rather than sell its seats at Eur 150 return (which it does on the London route because of competition )
Hopefuly Airmalta chairman , Lawrence Zammit reads this.
So Mr L Galea you are wrong , low cost airlines are not for cheapo tourists but for convenience, and many people use them for an extra short holiday.

M.Vassallo

Sep 24th 2009, 17:10

MIA is squeezing the lemon! And hs turned the departure into a shopping mall with prices higher than everywhere else! Why did we ever sell MIA? Compare airport charges with foreign ones and see what additional amounts an outgoing and incoming traveller has to pay for what is, in reality, a lousy service because even for a bottle of water you pay the earth whilst at other airports with the same climate, drinking water is provided for free!

Galea. L

Sep 24th 2009, 16:40

Ryanair is being subsidized through our taxes more than AirMAlta. So why should we not subsidize AirMalta which is the national airline more than a foreign company? Cheapo airlines cheapo tourists

charmaine mangion

Sep 24th 2009, 16:39

@ neville cassar

agree with you 100%

J. Pace

Sep 24th 2009, 16:25

What are we waiting for!! Ryanair already urged Malta to reduce its airport costs. This won't only benefit Ryanair but all the other companies that fly or intend to fly to Malta. Are we making so much profit from these 'costs' that we can't do without them?

Neville Cassar

Sep 24th 2009, 16:16

RyanAir seems convinced that if airport charges are reduced, that more people will travel to the destination, im not to sure about that is the only reason a prospective tourist will choose malta or not.

Malta needs to brush up its tourist product. Malta should ask itself..."Why doest a tourist want to come to Malta.... and why should he/she?"

Are we targeting the cultural tourist? ( with expencive museum entrance fees )
Are we targeting the weekend break tourist? ( with shops closed during the weekend )
Are we targeting the relaxing holiday tourist? ( to visit an island full of construction sites )
Are we targeting the party-youth tourist? ( with expencive prices for food and drinks... )

Lets get our act together.... decide what tourists we want to attract to Malta.... and give them what they are paying for.

Useless to bring the tourists here... and they leave the country feeling short changed. Lets give our visiting friends a warm welcome, an enjoyable stay, a nice value for money holiday.... and they will go back home and to work... with nice words to spread to their family and friends.

m bonello

Sep 24th 2009, 16:11

I think RyanAir are right on this one ...

High airport costs is like making people pay to enter your outlet where they would eventually spend their money so why deter people (and airlines brining people in this case) from entering your outlet in the first place?

Roger Boyle

Sep 24th 2009, 16:10

Here goes Mr O'leary again. Always squeezing the lemon until it bleeds blood. What happened to the same promise he made three years ago? We are not fools, Mike. It is said that it takes 7 men to cheat a Jew, and 7 Jews to cheat a Maltese. Say NO to Ryanair and it's fake promises in everthing.