According to the Irish, Van Nieuwenhuizen is ‘more interested in wasting tax money by providing illegal state aid to KLM’. The company is thus referring to the rescue package of a total of 3.4 billion euros with which the Dutch state hopes to help KLM through the corona crisis. According to CEO Michael O’Leary the package is in breach of state aid rules.
‘Ryanair helps’
Ryanair serves the interests of the Dutch consumer a lot better, the company claims. With the stunt rates that the company has been using since the beginning of September, Ryanair says it is helping to make necessary business trips or family visits possible.
“Thanks to Ryanair’s lowest prices, European economies can reboot and families can see each other again,” said Alejandra Ruiz, Ryanair’s head of communications, on the anger in politics in The Hague.
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Stunttarieven
The House of Representatives and Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water Management, VVD) do not have a good word for the action, whereby flights can be booked to Ibiza, Dublin or Manchester for 5 euros.
With the low prices as a bait, many people go on vacation to areas where there are many corona infections. There is a good chance that they will take the virus back.
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‘Prohibition not possible’
It is not possible to restrict such stunts, Van Nieuwenhuizen reports. She cannot just ban air travel, she believes it is the responsibility of consumers themselves.
Ryanair is not aware of any harm, according to society she does a noble job. “Millions of jobs depend on aviation and tourism and we will be happy to support the recovery of these sectors,” said Ruiz in an email to RTL Z. The company adheres to the rules of governments and the WHO, she adds subtly.
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Response From Nieuwenhuizen
“I understand that Ryanair does not like to be addressed like that”, Van Nieuwenhuizen responds in turn. “But the situation is so serious that you can also expect responsible behavior from a company like Ryanair.”
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