Ryanair to drop court action on slot control
RYANAIR has abandoned its latest High Court challenge against the introduction of a controversial system to regulate landings and take-offs at Dublin Airport.
The low-cost carrier has been fighting against the system -- known as slot control -- since it was first introduced in 2006.
In the first challenge, Ryanair successfully argued the aviation regulator hadn't carried out proper consultation with airlines before introducing the system, prompting the abandonment of slot control in the summer of 2006.
The aviation regulator went on to carry out a new consultation process, and moved to reintroduce slot control.
Ryanair then launched a more substantive legal challenge claiming slot control was not needed in Dublin Airport, because the runway was not congested.
A hearing date for that case was due to be set this week; however, a notice on the aviation regulator's website yesterday "welcomed" Ryanair's decision to abandon the case.
"At the court's direction, Ryanair is obliged to pay the legal costs incurred by the Commission to date in the defence of this challenge," the statement added.
- Laura Noonan
