Ryanair left fuming as Aer Lingus win award
May 29, 2003, 7:14 am
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Ryanair left fuming as Aer Lingus win award
http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/bus...L11Zs5FWAE.asp
27/05/03
Ryanair left fuming as Aer Lingus win award
By Seán McCárthaigh
RYANAIR boss Michael O'Leary snubbed an awards ceremony in Dublin yesterday after the no-frills airline was beaten by Aer Lingus in the Best Overall Value for Money category.
It was the first time in the 10-year history of the event, hosted by the Air Transport Users Council (ATUC), that Ryanair failed to win the award.
Aer Lingus was also voted the Best Overall Airline for the second year in a row by the chief executives of the country's top 1,000 companies at the annual Airline of the Year Awards. It also won the award for the Best Transatlantic Airline.
However,
Aer Lingus chief executive, Willie Walsh admitted he was particularly delighted that the company had won the award for Best Overall Value for Money.
"It is evidence of the transformation that has taken place in Aer Lingus over the past 18 months. Aer Lingus is now a low-fares airline that lays equal emphasis on its strong customer service ethos," he said.
No representative of Ryanair attended the ceremony, even though Mr O'Leary and other company executives had been regular guests at the event in past years.
However, Ryanair did receive a consolation prize when it was deemed the Best Airline for Online Services.
Last night, a Ryanair spokesperson described the decision to award the Best Value Airline category to Aer Lingus as "bizarre".
"Only a bunch of complete idiots could possibly vote Aer Lingus as "Best Value" airline when Aer Lingus has recently confirmed that it has ripped off the Irish public for year," said John Rowley.
Ryanair claims that Aer Lingus fares are four times higher than its own on the basis of turnover figures for 2003.
"If this is what passes for "Best Value" among the top 1,000 chief executives in the survey, then maybe they're still drinking too much free champagne on Aer Lingus's over-priced flights."
Commenting on the media interest in the winner of the award, the Air Transport Users Council chairman, Tadhg Kearney said that such a debate would have been unthinkable two years ago.
He also criticised the Irish Congress of Trade Unions which he claimed had no right to impose a veto on the future of Aer Rianta.
Speaking at the ceremony which was attended by Transport Minister, Seamus Brennan, Mr Kearney said the ATUC, which is a division of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, had not expressed a preference for any particular model on how management of Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports should be developed.
Mr Kearney urged the Minister to make a decision on the issue as soon as possible
27/05/03
Ryanair left fuming as Aer Lingus win award
By Seán McCárthaigh
RYANAIR boss Michael O'Leary snubbed an awards ceremony in Dublin yesterday after the no-frills airline was beaten by Aer Lingus in the Best Overall Value for Money category.
It was the first time in the 10-year history of the event, hosted by the Air Transport Users Council (ATUC), that Ryanair failed to win the award.
Aer Lingus was also voted the Best Overall Airline for the second year in a row by the chief executives of the country's top 1,000 companies at the annual Airline of the Year Awards. It also won the award for the Best Transatlantic Airline.
However,
Aer Lingus chief executive, Willie Walsh admitted he was particularly delighted that the company had won the award for Best Overall Value for Money.
"It is evidence of the transformation that has taken place in Aer Lingus over the past 18 months. Aer Lingus is now a low-fares airline that lays equal emphasis on its strong customer service ethos," he said.
No representative of Ryanair attended the ceremony, even though Mr O'Leary and other company executives had been regular guests at the event in past years.
However, Ryanair did receive a consolation prize when it was deemed the Best Airline for Online Services.
Last night, a Ryanair spokesperson described the decision to award the Best Value Airline category to Aer Lingus as "bizarre".
"Only a bunch of complete idiots could possibly vote Aer Lingus as "Best Value" airline when Aer Lingus has recently confirmed that it has ripped off the Irish public for year," said John Rowley.
Ryanair claims that Aer Lingus fares are four times higher than its own on the basis of turnover figures for 2003.
"If this is what passes for "Best Value" among the top 1,000 chief executives in the survey, then maybe they're still drinking too much free champagne on Aer Lingus's over-priced flights."
Commenting on the media interest in the winner of the award, the Air Transport Users Council chairman, Tadhg Kearney said that such a debate would have been unthinkable two years ago.
He also criticised the Irish Congress of Trade Unions which he claimed had no right to impose a veto on the future of Aer Rianta.
Speaking at the ceremony which was attended by Transport Minister, Seamus Brennan, Mr Kearney said the ATUC, which is a division of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, had not expressed a preference for any particular model on how management of Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports should be developed.
Mr Kearney urged the Minister to make a decision on the issue as soon as possible
