Leadership

Fine Gael calls on Cowen to clarify Hangar 6 claims

18.02.2010
The Ryanair Hangar 6 saga continues, with Fine Gael calling on the Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD to clarify his version of events about the Hangar 6 lease agreement at Dublin Airport, which it says does not match Ryanair’s own explanation.

Hangar 6 has become a sticking point in the offer by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary to locate an aircraft maintenance base at Dublin Airport, a move which he says will create 300 jobs.

The carrier apparently sees this location as essential to the project and has indicated it is not interested in pushing ahead with the base unless the lease of Hangar 6 is transferred to it by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). However, Aer Lingus currently has a 20-year contract from the DAA on Hangar 6 and says it requires the space for future operations.

Explanations don’t hold water
Fine Gael Dublin North TD James Reilly called on the Taoiseach to clarify his statement during Leader’s Question in the Dáil yesterday that Ryanair “did not compete for the hangar” in a “competition”, back when it was leased to Aer Lingus in November 2009.

“Ryanair is unaware of this ‘competition’ referred to by the Taoiseach. Brian Cowen claims Ryanair did not compete for Hangar 6, seek ownership of the hangar or seek a lease for it last September. Yet Mr O’Leary was in correspondence with the Tánaiste offering 500 jobs and seeking the Hangar from 13 August onwards,” O’Reilly said.

“Was this so-called competition advertised, or even made public? Why was Ryanair not told, or invited to tender? And how did Aer Lingus win the tender when it had no plans to create any new jobs, while Ryanair was offering 500?

“Brian Cowen’s explanations do not hold water. The Taoiseach says he cannot break the law, but the lease allows the DAA to move a tenant. He claims Aer Lingus must have 24 months’ notice. Yet similar conditions are negotiated out of leases on a daily basis,” Reilly said.

Legal action unlikely
Reilly also dismissed the Government’s claim that if it intervened to have the DAA cancel Aer Lingus’ contract on Hangar 6 that it would be sued by the airline.

He pointed to the fact that both the Government and Ryanair have a majority between them on the board of Aer Lingus, and could therefore overrule any such move.

Personal intervention
Reilly also called for the Taoiseach to personally intervene on the matter and ensure a negotiated settlement on the lease with Aer Lingus.

He suggested that the Taoiseach transfer the Hangar 6 lease from the DAA to IDA Ireland and allow the IDA to lease the facility under licence to Ryanair for the specific purpose of heavy aircraft maintenance.

“The priority now is to save jobs, not face,” he added.