Ryanair And Air Berlin Play Hard Ball

Fewer flights available from Ryanair and Air Berlin will be the outcome if the Murcian government does not agree to invest in advertising campaigns in the U.K., Germany and other countries to promote tourism to Murcia. Michael Cawley, Vice-president of Ryanair, stated, "Ryanair regrets having temporarily to cancel seven of its international routes from Murcia this winter. However, the total lack of support from the tourist authorities changes Murcia into a very expensive destination for Ryanair to promote this winter. The 76 weekly flights and the 120,000 tourists that they bring with them will be lost to Murcia because the regional government has not answered any of the proposals put forward by Ryanair with respect to beginning a marketing campaign similar to those made with Air Nostrum, which only operates two domestic routes in Murcia, bringing with them a practically insignificant number of tourists."

Ryanair has announced that unless a close to €3million campaign (the same as Air Nostrum) is agreed by Marina García Vidal (Murcia’s General Director of Tourism) and Pedro Alberto Cruz (Minister of Culture and Tourism) Ryanair will cancel seven of its routes because it would not be willing to foot the bill to promote its own flights. The seven routes that would be cancelled are Birmingham, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Luton, East Midlands, Glasgow Prestwick and Leeds Bradford. Ryanair would continue to operate Dublin and London Stansted.

Air Berlin also announced in a statement that, as a result of the reduction in reserves and the lack of support from the Murcian government, it plans to suspend all international connections with San Javier airport from the summer of 2011. Air Berlin, which has flown from Murcia airport for six years, will maintain from 1st November this year to April 14th 2011, direct flights between Murcia and Palma de Mallorca, but after that date Air Berlin flights will be cancelled.

The CEO of Air Berlin in Spain and Portugal, Alvaro Middelmann, stated, “The position taken by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Murcia is incomprehensible; he apparently does not want to recognize the importance of air links for the region.” Last year Air Berlin flew 27.9 million passengers worldwide.