Discount Debate
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Ibiza news and articles
Ibiza news and articles
Winter flights to and from the UK look as if they could be in danger after a series of confrontations between the Balearic Government and the low-cost airline, Ryanair.
The director-general of air and marine transport at the Govern, Joana Maria Amengual, said she had been in permanent contact with Civil Aviation for the last few months in response to complaints by other airlines that Ryanair had not been applying the resident's discount available on flights to the mainland.
In addition to the international flights to London Stansted and Milan, the company is currently running a flight to Barcelona Girona from the island, as well as flights to Barcelona (both Girona and Reus), Alicante and Madrid from Palma. The discount available for residents of the islands is not applied on any of these routes with Ryanair arguing their flights are extremely competitive with prices as low as ?0, excluding tax.
However, other low-cost companies, including Air Berlin, Clickair and Vueling, have made a number of complaints claiming they are being obliged to apply the discount, and that the rules should be the same for all companies.
Very short-sightedly Amengual is demanding the company meets the current legislation, claiming she has demanded their license to use Spanish airports be rescinded.
It is believed Civil Aviation has already fined Ryanair on several different occasions for the offence, all of which have been appealed against by the Dublin-based company.
The installation of a computer system needed to apply the discount will mean a substantial investment for the company, which will inevitably make them reconsider their situation within the Balearics.
However, the company quickly found an ally in the councillor for tourism, Pepa Mari, who said withdrawing the license would be counter-productive for the Balearics. She added that she understood the director-general had a job to do, but said she was in contact with Ryanair who were working towards resolving the issue.
