Confusion surrounding Ryanair

Dublin Airport CEO Vincent Harrison immediately expressed satisfaction at the launch of new flights. -I am happy that Ryanair is expanding its network. Dubrovnik and Split are Croatian cities full of culture and history, and I do not doubt they will be very popular destinations - said Harrison.

That could be the case if Ryanair started flights to the two cities. However, there is a big problem in the story.

Flight timetable

Managements of Dubrovnik and Split airports claim that they did not sign any contracts with Ryanair and added that new flights have not been added to the timetable for the next summer season.

-We are surprised with Ryanair's announcement. The Dubrovnik Airport does not have official information on Ryanair's arrival and we have not signed contracts for use of slots or services - said deputy head of the traffic segment at the Dubrovnik Airport Josip Paljetak.

The Split Airport is in the same situation, with CEO Lukša Novak unable to confirm information about arrival of Ryanair because the Airport still has not drawn up its timetable for next year.

-Nothing has changed as far as Split Airport and Ryanair go. Our representatives went to the conference in Madrid in November, where flights were discussed. However, contact with Ryanair was not established. On the other hand, we were informed that Ryanair has made some plans, but the Split Airport has not confirmed these plans - said Novak.

Ticket price

Ryanair does not have an agreement with the Split Airport either, but this did not prevent the company from selling tickets for Dublin-Split flights. According to the information on their website, first flights from Dublin to Split and Dubrovnik should start on 1 June next year. The last flight for Dubrovnik is to take place on 25 October and the flight for Split one day later. We looked into availability of tickets. The flight from Dublin to Split on 31 August with return on 6 September costs EUR 167. The return ticket for Dubrovnik on 2 June costs as much, with return on 9 June. The flight from Dublin to Split takes three hours and 10 minutes, while the flight to Dubrovnik takes 20 minutes longer. Ticket price is comparable to those of other airlines, which could mean that Ryanair included airport taxes in the price.

Ryanair has been trying to expand to Dubrovnik and Split, while insisting on its terms, which the airports have been rejecting and noting that they can operate under the same terms as all other airlines. Lukša Novak confirmed today that all airlines have equal terms at the Split Airport.

Interest

-They get benefits based on number of flights and passengers. Nobody gets special terms and our rules for getting benefits are transparent - said Novak. Ryanair is asking for co-financing of its flights from destination airports and demands lower airport taxes compared to other airlines. The company got said benefits from airports in Zadar, Rijeka and Pula. However, since airports in Dubrovnik and Split have more than enough flights in the summer, arrival of Ryanair is not crucial for them. This is why our interlocutors believe that Ryanair is testing the market with the aim of determining passenger interest in the line.

It would not come as a surprise if the company soon announced that it will fly two or three times per week to these cities. -Ryanair is taking a risk, that is the company's style of doing business - said our interlocutor.