A new war of words between Ryanair and Aer Lingus has erupted over the advertising of special flight deals.
Describing the State airline's post-Christmas seat sale as a "sham", Ryanair has made a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) over what it claims are misleading Aer Lingus radio advertisements.
Aer Lingus, in turn, accused the "low-frills" airline of hypocrisy, given its traditional hostility to the ASAI .
The ASAI has written to Aer Lingus asking it to suspend the advertisement, pending a formal investigation.The advertisement referred to flights from €39 and €99 each way on certain Aer Lingus routes "subject to taxes", a wording which was said to be in defiance of advertising codes requiring VAT and other taxes to be included in published prices.
Mr Dan Loughrey, Aer Lingus's corporate affairs director, said it would take the ASAI's views on board. However, he believed the authority should operate "a level playing field" by upholding similar complaints against Ryanair.
"Ryanair were running an ad saying 'free flights' without saying that taxes and charges would be applied. That would seem to be in contravention of the law. Yet the ASAI did not uphold our complaint against it."
Mr Loughrey said it was ironic that the "supposed champions of competition are just as quick as others to try to use the ASAI to try to curb competition".
In a statement, Ryanair attacked the merits of Aer Lingus's sale, saying its fares were up to 75 per cent cheaper than the State airline's.
