Aer Rianta had no statutory basis for increasing the annual charge for each check-in desk at Dublin Airport to £12,000 (#15,237) from £7,200 on January 1st last, Ryanair complained to the High Court yesterday.

Ryanair, which says it accounts for 33 per cent of the 14 million-passenger throughput at Dublin Airport, stated the 85 per cent increase in the charge was in addition to a general administration charge of £2,000 which, it claims, Aer Rianta also had no right to introduce.

It says check-in desks, of which it has 14 of the 64 at Dublin Airport, are an essential part of the airport installation and as such any increases must be both transparent and objective as well as subject to prior Ministerial approval.

In judicial review proceedings, Ryanair is challenging the higher charges and the introduction of rules of conduct governing ground-handling operations at the airport. Last January, it lost its application for an order preventing the increase and new rules applying to it pending the outcome of its legal proceedings.

When refusing the interlocutory orders, Mr Justice Kelly said it was highly undesirable that an airport catering for 117 airlines and 14 million passengers should have one clear and comprehensive set of rules for 116 airlines and another set of rules for Ryanair. That was neither sensible or orderly management of an airport, he said.

Yesterday, Mr Gerard Hogan SC, for Ryanair, said the charges were imposed by Aer Rianta without any statutory authority. There was no proper consultation and Aer Rianta was in breach of fair procedures.

The fact that the airline had not appealed these increases to the Minister for Public Enterprise should not count.

The hearing continues today.