Regulators uphold complaint about charges by Dublin Airport

Charges levied by Dublin Airport on airlines face a possible shake-up after regulators upheld complaints by Ryanair. The airport intends charging airlines E13.05 for each departing passenger in summer and E9.30 in winter and E2.65 for each person transferring from one flight to another at the airport in summer and E2.10 for those transferring in winter. However, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has told Dublin Airport, run by State company DAA, to review those fees ahead of the winter travel season’s start date on October 27th after upholding complaints by Ryanair. The airline’s complaint challenged the gap between charges for departing and transferring passengers, saying among other things that the airport failed to provide transparent reasons for the differences, which amount to 80% in summer and 77% in winter. Ryanair also challenged charges for runway movements, based on aircrafts’ weight. Among other issues, the airline argued that larger aircraft flown by rivals paid less per tonne than the Boeing 737-800s that it operates. In a third point, Ryanair maintained that Dublin’s low-emissions aircraft discount, meant to cut runway and passenger charges by 25%, actually resulted in 12.5% discounts.<br/>