usatoday24
Ryanair’s impact is not only counted by the number of flights he leaves in an airport. Not at least where they are a key piece in the operation of a regional square such as Valladolid, where Its march has reduced by 60% The number of travelers who pass through their facilities.
Last January, the company announced that this summer would close operations at the Valladolid airport. The decision entered into the Pressure measures that the company is applying against the government for discrepancies related to the collection of hand suitcases or rates that Aena Cobra for operating in the facilities.
This pressure tool translated into a reduction in operations in seven airports. In Vigo, for example, Ryanair has eliminated their seats by 61% available. But the highest figure is not always the one that does the most damage because you have to pay attention to the specific impact that the company has on the airport.
And in Valladolid it was huge. So much that the volume of travelers at the city airport has been reduced by 63.2% According to data offered by AENA. But the company’s march not only has a direct impact on the offer of flights that are now available the Valladolid. It impacts the workers of the airport itself.
Like those of its cafeteria.
Three workers dismissed due to lack of work
The story brings it first hand The North of Castile. The local media has interviewed César Carreras, a cafeteria dealer of the Valladolid airport who says that with the march of Ryanair, 80% of the clientele has vanished.
In less than a year, Carreras has seen how the airport was emptied without Ryanair’s operations (which stopped operating on March 28) but with The previous flying of Vuelingwhich stopped offering the Valladolid-Barcelona route in June last year.
Right now, Binter is the only company that operates the airport but has no daily trips. “This month They only work two days a week“, says the head of the cafeteria. Specifies that travelers have left but that there is also an employee hole, since only four workers of all employees that the company maintained in Valladolid remains in the facilities although performing other work.
He explains that only the days that there are flights and just for three hours are exploding to cafeteria because the rest of the day the airport remains practically empty. He explains that now he only works the cafeteria and that he has had to fire three employees. At the moment, it remains in the concession because it would have “problems” to leave it and because it can give the service itself since it has another open business.
When Ryanair announced that Valladolid left and Jerez and what reduced its operations I already talked about the decision would leave “Half -empty regional airports” although he blamed the march and reduction of operations to the alleged high rates of Aena.
Those Aena rates They are the ones used to maintain the minimum services of an airport (security, cleaning …) and from the company ensure that they are extremely low in regional airports because there are multiple discounts to make them attractive. At the moment, they say, they are operating just two euros per passenger.
What has long resonates is the fine that the Ministry of Consumption imposed on Ryanair for the collection of the hand luggage suitcase. For the Government, the allowed dimensions are extremely reduced and do not cover the definition of “essential” to which it obliges European regulations. Consequently imposed a sanction of more than 100 million euros.
That fine was the one that precipitated everything, since Ryanair understands that without a more concrete definition he has no reason to let in the cabin that They exceed 40x20x25 cm measures collected in its most basic rate. Therefore, they assure that the collection for the cabin trolley It is perfectly legal. Something that seems, It will be ratified in a few months by the European Union itself.
Photo | Fred Rivett and Fahmi Fakhrudin
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings