There is no future for Galway Airport or for subsidised flights or airlines, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said last evening.
Addressing a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, the colourful businessman said that there is little future either for Ireland West Airport, even though his airline flies into there.
He hit out at the fact that most of the regional airports would not survive were they not heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.
“There is no future for Donegal, Galway, Waterford, Sligo and even Knock, despite the flight we fly there, is pretty flaky as well.
“There is no getting away from the economics of this country. There are four million people here and have eleven airports. Bristol is a city of ten million and it has one airport.
Our airports would not survive without massive subsidies. We subsidise everyone on the Knock-Dublin route to the tune of €120 each. At a time when there are schools and hospitals in need, it is insane to be subsidising the rich to fly between Knock and Dublin,” he said.
Earlier, Managing Director of Aer Arann Garry Cullen told the Transport Committee that he believes Ryanair will seek to dominate all regional airports and operate an effective monopoly.
