beyondbrics

Tempers frayed and positions were decorously adjusted on Wednesday after beyondbrics reported on conflicting statements regarding Ryanair’s ability to operate planned new flights out of Budapest for which it was already selling tickets.

Ryanair demanded “a corrective measure” to what it called a “biased article”. And Budapest Airport said it would do whatever it could to get Ryanair flying.

That is not the way it looked previously, when the airport’s spokesperson reacted robustly to Ryanair’s accusation that it was moving slowly, putting the airline’s rescue plan at risk.

In its statement on Wednesday, the airport said: “Slot co-ordination is not in the competence of Budapest Airport therefore of course we cannot comment regarding who does or does not have a slot.” On Tuesday, however, that is exactly what its spokesperson did.

Challenged by Stephen McNamara, head of communications of Ryanair, to ask Budapest Airport if the Irish carrier had slots for 26 additional flights announced last Friday, beyondbrics duly put the question.

Mihaly Hardy, spokesperson for the airport replied: “They have to apply for slots. They have, but we have not agreed on anything.”

Beyondbrics didn’t include that answer in its article on Tuesday. But the article did make it clear Ryanair could not guarantee it would be able to fly.

Budapest Airport also said on Wednesday:

… we do not comment on any discussions between the airport and any airline customers without the prior agreement of the customer, in this case Ryanair.

Except, er, once again, they did. The hard-working Hardy turned up at a Wizz Air press conference in Budapest on Tuesday and made plenty of comments to lots of journalists, including beyondbrics – when he did not request any information should be off-record.

Hardy did not answer his mobile on Wednesday. With nothing new from him, beyondbrics asked Ryanair how - discounting the extraordinary and Acts of God – it could guarantee it would fly its new routes, given that it was still in negotiations with Budapest Airport?

In response, Ryanair said it would not answer any further questions until beyondbrics had corrected things. Now that we have made the position clear, we expect Ryanair’s explanation at any moment.

Meanwhile, it appears Ryanair can not totally guarantee these flights – as it admitted in its “rescue update” on February 6.

While stating in its first line: “Ryanair this evening confirmed that it has secured slots for all of its proposed fights from Budapest Airport from 17th Feb next,”

in the fifth paragraph it notes:

Ryanair has however warned prospective passengers that if it can not agree terms with Hochtief Budapest Airport tomorrow it may be forced to delay the launch of its Budapest base, delay the rescue of Hungarian consumers/ visitors and delay the recruitment of Hungarian pilots cabin crew and engineers.

Budapest Airport, for its part, looks ready to bow to the pressure. Here is part of its statement, attributed to Jost Lammers, the airport’s chief executive:

What I can clearly state, is that due to the vacuum left by the collapse Malév last week, we can generally accept all requests when it comes to operational matters. In a crisis situation, we will take whatever action is required to accommodate airlines wishes to fly from Budapest. I would advise passengers that any airline that is on sale including Ryanair, intend to fly until such a time they decide differently.

Related reading:
Ryanair vs Budapest: playing dirty? beyondbrics
Malev grounds fleet over unpaid debts, FT
[snap] Ryanair to open Budapest base in two weeks as Malev flounders, beyondbrics
[snap] Hungary’s Malev grounded; Wizz steps in, beyondbrics