Ryanair this morning released what it said was written proof of its plans to use Hangar 6 for maintenance only.
In a statement, the carrier said it today released copies of a letter dated July 2nd, 2009, to the IDA chief executive "in which Ryanair provided written guarantees of its plans and intention to use Hangar 6 for heavy maintenance only, thereby creating up to 500 jobs (last July) if the Govt would agree to sell or lease the then empty Hangar 6 facility to Ryanair.
"These written guarantees expose the falsity of the claims (made by Govt and the DAA in recent days) that Ryanair has a 'hidden agenda' of converting Hangar 6 into a terminal building. These claims are false and the Govt knows that they are false."
However, speaking today, Fergus Wilson, chief operations officer at Aer Lingus, said the airline required Hangar 6 as it formed a "key part" of its business strategy.
"We maintain our aircraft at night. It is absolutely imperative that we have suitable facilities to do that," Mr Wilson said. The company's performance would be inhibited if Ryanair were in the hangar as there would not be sufficient capacity to carry out maintenance, he said, adding work could not be taken to other hangars as the capacity was not available there.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Wilson said an overturning of the leasing arrangement for the building was "not an option at all" for Aer Lingus due to the capacity required. "The only structure within the lease . . . that would facilitate that is if there were exceptional circumstances surrounding Dublin airport," such as the hangar impeding the development of the airport.
The Taoiseach has said there was a competition for the lease in November which Ryanair did not compete for, to “take the hangar which it contends will play such a part in creating these jobs”.
Brian Cowen yesterday told the Dáil that the Government cannot “act unlawfully” by removing Aer Lingus from a hangar for which they had a lease and putting in Ryanair. He was speaking during heated exchanges in the Dáil during the continuing controversy about the proposal for 300 aircraft maintenance jobs at Dublin airport.
Mr Cowen insisted that the jobs could be created at Dublin airport with two existing hangars, or the building of a new hangar.
Ryanair said that since the letter in July "the DAA (in Dec last) 'leased' the Hangar 6 facility to Aer Lingus despite the fact that Aer Lingus have no heavy maintenance business in Ireland, no requirement for a heavy maintenance hangar and have created not one new job in the Hangar 6 facility'.
Commenting, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said: "The Taoiseach should explain the nature of this claimed 'competition' last November and publish the 'competition' documentation.
"The Taoiseach and this Govt must now explain why, because of their inaction last July/August, they lost 200 maintenance jobs to Glasgow Prestwick last week, and will in the coming weeks lose up to 300 more jobs to another European airport," he added.
Last night, Mr O’Leary last night said “the only offer available to the Government” was to give the building known as Hangar 6 to his company. Mr O’Leary said he was calling on Mr Cowen to state exactly what Aer Lingus had put into the facility which Ryanair wants to secure as a base for a new maintenance plant. He claimed Aer Lingus had put “nothing” into the hangar.
He said the building should either be sold or rented to Ryanair, insisting nobody had to break a law or break the terms of a lease in the process.