RYANAIR SUPPORTS UK COMPETITION COMMISSION INVESTIGATION OF

[RyanAdmin]

Ryanair, Britain's largest passenger airline, today ( Thursday, 9th August 2007) welcomed the UK Competition Commission's Issues Statement on their investigation of the BAA airports monopoly. The CC rightly identifies as serious issues the following:

* The abysmal delays being experienced by passengers going through
security and immigration at BAA airports

* The effects of common ownership on the development and operation
of the London Airports , and

* The impact of the regulatory regime on airport development.

Ryanair's Head of Regulatory Affairs and Company Secretary, Jim Callaghan, said:

"The Competition Commission has now identified the various issues where the ongoing common ownership by the BAA of the main London airports is damaging the development and operation of these airports and is damaging
to the travelling public. The BAA needs to be broken up urgently in
the best interests of British consumers, visitors to the UK and airline users.

"The situation has now reached crisis levels. BAA have doubled passenger charges in Stansted airport and passenger numbers have fallen for the first time since Ryanair began operating to Stansted in 1991. As a result, routes have been cancelled and frequencies reduced. Passenger queues at security and immigration have also reached crisis levels with passengers being forced to wait in excess of one hour. BAA also continue to waste money and ignore the needs of users by building inefficient, gold plated airport facilities at Stansted Airport, which will lead to another doubling of passenger charges and a further reduction in passenger numbers and routes from London.

"We are therefore calling on the Competition Commission to expedite its investigation of the BAA and to force a break up of this abusive monopoly as soon as possible in the interest of consumers. It is clear that the situation will continue to deteriorate until competition is introduced in the London airports market."