Madam, - I would like to thank David Smith (February 19th) for his compliment - that is, to be described as one of the "Goliaths of the free market". However, flattery will not deflect me from the key points which Mr Smith has chosen to ignore.
Ryanair's business with Charleroi airport has changed it from being a loss maker with only 100,000 passengers per year to a profitable one with 2,000,000 passengers. This is good for the travelling public, the people employed by Charleroi airport, 700 directly and 1,400 indirectly, the tax payers and Government of Wallonia who now own a profitable enterprise. The Commission decision is a bad one in that it puts all this at risk for reasons I have already given.
Life is too short to fully debate Mr Smith's view of life in the commercial world, or how smart he might be. Just two points. I do not know any other Goliaths of free enterprise who would not acknowledge that if the cost of supplying an essential service with a social need exceeds the cost of that service then it has to be subsidised.
Dividends are paid out of profits, not before delivering a service. - Yours, etc.,
Dr ROBERT BERNEY,
Chairman,
ISME,
Kildare Street,
Dublin 2.