News: Ryanair boss slams Birmingham expansion plans
Flights > News > # 598 (18/11/2005)
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Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has launched a scathing attack on Birmingham airport management, claiming that their expansion plans are unnecessary, as British Airways are likely to pull out of the airport, and that their high charging resume is keeping other no-frills airlines out.
His comments were made during a rushed press conference in Birmingham, at which he announced an increase in capacity on Ryanair's flights from Birmingham to Dublin, and a challenge to British Airways to reduce their fuel surcharge, following recent reductions in the price of oil.
Early in the year, O'Leary spoke with Flightmapping about airport development in the Midlands, drawing comparisons between management attitudes at Birmingham and Manchester. The outspoken Ryanair boss said that he disliked the attitude of the larger regional airports, drawing particular reference to the high cost of infrastructure at Manchester, and the problems of dealing with extra traffic since the opening of the airport's second runway. At the time, he also predicted that British Airways would be out of both Manchester and Birmingham within 5 years.
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Comment:
Michael O'Leary has said nothing new here with regards to Birmingham airport's management attitude. Whether or not he is right with regards to the future of British Airways remains to be seen, although for the time being, there do seem to be pl
