MAG facing first Stansted issue as Ryanair revolts

MANCHESTER Airports Group is facing its first challenge at the newly-acquired Stansted Airport – a row with Ryanair, the budget airline which is Stansted’s biggest operator.

The Irish low-cost carrier says it will axe 9% of its Stansted services from Apri in a row over a 6% hike in its landing fees.

Ryanair has called on Stansted’s regulator, the CAA, to investigate whether the prise rise, which it says is “unjustified and unwarranted” was a “sweetener” by the airport’s previous owner Heathrow plc, ahead of January’s £1.5bn sale to MAG.

Ryanair says it will cut frequencies on 43 of its routes and reduce its weekly operations by over 170 flights, with the loss of 1.1m passengers.

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “Given that Ferrovial/BAA (Heathrow) has now agreed to sell the airport to MAG, it is impossible to understand why the BAA monopoly is again raising Stansted’s prices from April 2013 when it clearly won’t be running the airport from that date.

“Ryanair and other Stansted airlines now must ask was this surprise price increase part of a “sweetener” package to persuade MAG to pay £1.5bn for Stansted? “

He added: “The CAA must now investigate the reasons for this price increase and take action to protect Stansted users from this latest example of price gouging from Ferrovial/BAA.”

A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: “Under the terms of the acquisition, MAG has not been able to talk with Stansted’s existing airlines. However now the deal is complete, we will be meeting with airlines.

“We have excellent relationships with the airlines who operate at MAG airports, including Ryanair and will be discussing plans and aspirations, including a strategy to return Stansted to growth by building on these relationships to provide more routes and services.”