Info - Ryanair have pulled Fuerteventura

Alzar

Just read the news on the Ryanair site today:

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (10th Dec) confirmed that it will close all of its routes to/from Fuerteventura from 31st January after local tourism group AIE failed to honor the commercial agreement it entered into with Ryanair to promote Fuerteventura as a tourist destination.
Since Ryanair began flying to Fuerteventura in 2006 annual passenger numbers have increased over one hundred fold from just 2,000 to over 250,000. However, because of the AIE’s breach of its agreement with Ryanair one of its Dublin flights to Fuerteventura was cancelled from 6th November and Ryanair has now confirmed the closure of 23 weekly services on nine international routes to/from Fuerteventura from 31st January. This follows extensive efforts by Ryanair to encourage the AIE to honor the agreement they had signed.

Ryanair will close all services to/from Fuerteventura including Birmingham (3 per week), Bremen (2pw), Dublin (2pw), Dusseldorf (Weeze) (4pw), East Midlands (3pw), Frankfurt (2pw), Liverpool (3pw), London (3pw) and Shannon (1pw) from 31st January.

Ryanair confirmed legal action, for breach of the agreement, will continue against AIE and its individual members.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/news.php?yr=08&month=dec&story=rte-en-101208

Pity, I was looking forward to my two weeks RnR in Correlejo

Al.

finbarrk

Thats a disaster for the people who were looking forward to some Winter sun.

PeakOutput

wow even with an increase of passengers to 250,000 they want to pull it sounds like madness to me

Fratton Fred

it is funny how it is never Ryanair's fault.

P. Breathnach

Fratton Fred wrote: »

it is funny how it is never Ryanair's fault.

It never is. At least, it isn't once you recognise what Ryanair's agenda is: to make profit. All Ryanair's decisions are made on the basis of what is best for the bottom line.

mikedragon32

P. Breathnach wrote: »

It never is. At least, it isn't once you recognise what Ryanair's agenda is: to make profit. All Ryanair's decisions are made on the basis of what is best for the bottom line.

And as a PLC that is their obligation.

Having been to Fuerteventura this year, I have to say, the island needs every tourist it can get. Of course, we don't know how unreasonable the conditions were that Ryanair were looking to get, but the losers here are the Fuerteventurians (if that's a word).

eth0_

Fratton Fred wrote: »

it is funny how it is never Ryanair's fault.

They're not a charity, they obviously weren't getting enough bums on seats to make this route viable.

Bluetonic

finbarrk wrote: »

Thats a disaster for the people who were looking forward to some Winter sun.

You've obviously never had the misfortune to experienced a disaster. :rolleyes:

Alzar

eth0_ wrote: »

They're not a charity, they obviously weren't getting enough bums on seats to make this route viable.

I've travelled every year, twice a year, since Ryanair started flying to Fuerte & I can say that I was never on a half empty plane. All the filghts that I've been on were full...to the neck & I've taken a few Tuesday & Thursday flights too.

I believe the reason that the flights were pulled was because RA had some sort of financial agreement with the AIE in Fuerte & basically the AIE have not stumped up the cash that they were due to give to RA.

As you quite rightly said, RA are not a charity, so I can't blame them for pulling the flights, but they definitely were getting bums on seats.

Maybe the the AIE took the manyana, manyana attitude & RA were not going to hang around waiting for their cash.

Al.

Fratton Fred

eth0_ wrote: »

They're not a charity, they obviously weren't getting enough bums on seats to make this route viable.

I know, I am not trying to imply that Ryanair are doing anything wrong, but if that is the case then why not just say it? These decisions are always someone's fault and it is never their's.

Drummerboy2

I travelled midweek to Fuerantura midweek on Ryanair in October and the plane was full.

P. Breathnach

Drummerboy2 wrote: »

I travelled midweek to Fuerantura midweek on Ryanair in October and the plane was full.

It is entirely possible that every flight was full, but that Ryanair was not making money on the service (or that they saw a way of making more money by switching the same resources to a different service).

It's simple, really: if they were making enough, they would continue. The airline exists to make money, and they are good at that.