Airports complained today that Ryanair’s new rule limiting passengers to one carry-on bag will discourage airport shopping and hurt their revenues.
The European branch of Airports Council International, which represents some 440 members in Europe, said airlines “need to appreciate” that airports make at least half their income from retail sales and that this allows them to charge below-cost landing fees.
Ryanair said passengers were free to shop at the airport as long as their purchases fit into one 10 kilo carry-on bag. It also said airports had plenty of room to cut costs by operating more efficiently.
“Passengers have no interest in airport shopping,” Ryanair said. “They simply want to get through airport terminals and onto their aircraft with the shortest possible queuing time and inconvenience.”
The airports did not say how much they expected to lose in sales from Ryanair’s new rule, which came into force on Sunday.
Ryanair said it will charge passengers €30 if they bring more than one handbag, briefcase or laptop bag on board.
Passenger traffic is falling worldwide as a global downturn forces people to cut back on travel. The worldwide office of ACI in Geneva estimated European passenger traffic in December fell by 6.5 per cent compared with the same month in 2007.
AP