RYANAIR has issued a High Court writ against Manchester Airport after an aircraft was impounded for non-payment of fees.
Commercial director Tim Jeans said the writ concerned a claim that Manchester had abused its powers of detention by holding a Boeing 737 last month after a mix-up over airport payments. He did not rule out a claim for damages if the case went in Ryanair’s favour.
The case is the latest in a dispute between both parties over fees, which has led to Ryanair threatening to axe its Manchester-Dublin flights.
Manchester Airport director of business development Bill Savage said: “We are sure the action we have taken is sound in legal principle and legal practice. I would not want any airline to pull out of Manchester, but if Ryanair does not want to serve Dublin and the south of Ireland from here we will look for other operators.”