mercantile court in Elche has thrown out an appeal from Ryanair against the new rules from AENA Spanish Airports which oblige airlines to use airbridges for passenger access to and from their planes at the new terminal at Alicante Airport.
Ryanair claims these are ‘unnecessary facilities’ which will cost them more than €2 million a year, and has threatened 80% cutbacks at its Alicante base from October if AENA does not reverse its decision.
It’s understood from EFE that the company had based its appeal on the financial losses the new regulations would incur and the ‘irreversible’ damage to its image as a low cost airline. Ryanair also claimed in the appeal that the airbridge system at El Altet would cause delays in its operations at the airport, but the judge considered that the airbridge system which the airline currently uses at other Spanish airports appears to have no adverse effect on its operations.
Although rejecting the airline’s appeal, Mercantile Court No. 3 has however, as part of its ruling made public this Wednesday, asked AENA to reconsider whether the airbridges measure is necessary. EFE reports that Judge Luis Seller has called on the Spanish Airports Authority to study the viability, from a safety and efficiency point of view, of allowing Ryanair passengers to embark and disembark on foot at Alicante Airport.
The judge adds that, if AENA should decide to do so, it must also offer the same facility to any other airline which may request it.
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