SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of November, 2003
RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
Yes ..... No ..X..
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
RYANAIR WARNS NEGATIVE COMMISSION DECISION ON CHARLEROI WILL REDUCE COMPETITION
AND INCREASE AIR FARES
In response to media queries Ryanair, Europe's No.1 low fares airline today
(Friday, 7th November 2003) said it was disappointed at the leaked findings of
the EU Commission investigation in the Brussels Charleroi cost case. The
Commission findings appear to have been leaked to the Financial Times in
Brussels which reported this morning "that Brussels was set to rule against
Ryanair".
Ryanair and its partners at Brussels Charleroi will be extremely disappointed by
these negative findings, which will be damaging for competition, low fare air
travel and millions of consumers all over the European Union.
Speaking in Dublin this afternoon, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary
said;
"A negative finding by the EU Commission, in the same week that Easyjet has
announced a new 20 year low cost arrangement with the Government owned
Berlin Schonefeld Airport is bad for consumers, bad for low fare air travel,
but good for the high fare airlines and monopoly airports around Europe.
"It is illogical that Ryanair, a privately owned company, negotiating at
arms length with an unused airport (Brussels Charleroi) to put in place a
long-term, low cost arrangement (similar to that at many privately owned
airports), should be told 5 years later that we shouldn't have sold low
fares to over 4 million Belgian consumers and visitors because the cost base
should have been higher. It is wrong that the EU Commission in Brussels can
impose artificial constraints on the growth of low fare air travel and/or
competition in Europe simply to appease high fare airlines and high cost
airports such as Zaventem.
"It is also wrong when the high fare airlines are consolidating into smaller
and smaller groupings and forcing consumers to pay higher fares to travel
across congested hub airports, that the growth of low fare air travel, the
growth of regional airports, and the cause of competition between airports
such as that demonstrated repeatedly by Ryanair (at Stansted, Prestwick,
Frankfurt Hahn, Brussels Charleroi among others) and by Easyjet at Luton,
Liverpool, Belfast, Geneva and Berlin Schonefeld are now to be ruled illegal
simply because some of these airports are publicly owned. Why should
consumers pay higher fares because airports are publicly owned, or because
the EU Commission wants to limit/reduce competition?
"These negative findings - if true - would be remarkable again in the week
when Easyjet not only launched a 20 year deal at Berlin Schonefeld, but
confirmed that it was in discussions with Geneva Airport (a Swiss Government
owned airport) about a 50% discount on charges at Geneva Airport. Should
Easyjet's deal at Berlin now be ruled unlawful?
"If these findings as leaked in the Financial Times are correct - it would
appear that bureaucrats in Brussels wish to prevent privately owned airlines
developing low cost arrangements at publicly owned airports for the benefit
of consumers, lower fares, growth and jobs.
"We will await to see the final detail of the Commission's decision, but if
it is as negative as reported in this morning's Financial Times it will
inevitably mean that Ryanair will be appealing the decision to the European
Courts and it may well force Ryanair to withdraw altogether from Brussels
Charleroi Airport, close down 10 routes, remove low fare air services that
are presently used by 2 million passengers a year, and have a devastating
effect on an airport and hundreds of jobs in Charleroi and the Walloon
region - all because the high cost main Brussels airport (Zaventem)
wants to prevent competition and choice.
"This decision would be fundamentally anti-competitive and anti-consumer.
Is low fare air travel now to be confined to privately owned airports in
future? Isn't it time the Commission started actually doing something in
favour of competition between airports as well as airlines and thereby
continue the Ryanair low fare revolution which offers ordinary people low
fare air travel instead of protecting the vested interests of high cost
airports and high fare airlines."
Ends. Friday, 7th November 2003
For further information
please contact:
Paul Fitzsimmons Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Murray Consultants
Tel. 353-1-8121212 Tel. 353-1-4980300
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
Date: 7 November, 2003
By:___/s/ Howard Millar____
H Millar
Company Secretary & Finance Director