“The one problem for the airlines is, you switch a slot out of Dublin, somebody else will come and nick the slot," O'Leary said during a press conference last weekend. "In fact, we'll come and nick anybody else's slot, we’ll take the slot that moves to Cork, we’ll fill it and they won't get it back!".
The outspoken remarks, as reported by Cork Beo, were in response to the news that the Dublin Airport Authority is trying to get airlines to move flights from Dublin to Cork and other Irish airports, to keep Dublin under a 32 million passenger cap per year.
The authority has applied to the local Fingal County Council to raise the cap, which has been considered 'antiquated' by many politicians and airline officials, up from 32m to 40m and more. Thus far, the the council hasn't agreed to raise the limit, nor introduce an interim measure to cover the next year or so. By the end of this year, Dublin will break the cap, and consequentially, break the law.
O'Leary has threatened the Irish government that if the cap is not removed or significantly increased, Ryanair will raise fares to more than €1000 from Dublin this Christmas.
