Ryanair: Haugesund
- London from April 30
Text and photo: Eirik
Hustvedt
Published: Feb. 18, 2003
Sources: Haugesunds
Avis, Radio 102, TV Haugaland, haugalandet.no,
Avinor, www.Ryanair.com
For some
time now we have heard about the possibility.
In a couple of months it is a reality. We
will get a new and important direct connection
Haugesund - London with the Irish airline
Ryanair.
At the moment,
Ryanair is the most successful, international
airline company. Their success is based
on low prices, high efficiency, reduced
service and the use of alternative
airports. In London, they use Stansted,
just north east of central London. Another example: Oslo for Ryanair
is in fact Sandefjord airport, Torp. This
airport, situated 1,5 hour with car or bus
south of Oslo, has had a fantastic development
after the start of the flights of Ryanair.
If you plan
to use Ryanair, visit their web
site
to inform yourself about prices, possibilities
and disadvantages. Be aware that onboard
service is not what you are used to from
other, full service airlines. You may bring
a maximum of 15 kg luggage + 7 kg hand luggage.
Access weight cost app. 50NOK per kg. Prices may be higher than what you
see in the advertisements (and they change
from day to day). Ryanair take no responsibility
if they delay you
and you miss your connection (they normally don't
- 89% is on time, 99% within an hour late). And
- if they cancel a departure - that's your
problem (food, hotel, expenses). Arrive
in good time at the airport. According to
their web site Check-in closes 30 min
before departure! And they charge
you app. 1,5$ per min. for making calls
to the Passenger service phone. But by accepting these terms, you
can travel from A to B at a very low to
medium price - with modern airplanes. They
have done this for years now - and make
success!
With Ryanair,
you don't get a ticket. You make your reservation
on Internet or Phone - and identify yourself
when arriving as early as possible on the
airport. Then they'll give you a numbered
boarding pass. Early check in give you first
access to the plane when boarding to choose
the best seats.
(source:
ryanair.com)
Ryanair
to Haugesund?
Why / how did
we get Ryanair to Haugesund? One year
ago, some local Haugalandet business men
got the idea to talk to Ryanair, after
having discussed the success of Torp airport
in Sandefjord. They contacted Ryanair, told
them about the possibilities of Haugesund
and Haugalandet, brought the mayors of Haugesund
and Karmøy over to Ireland to meet with
the airline executives, invited them back
here, and worked with the Norwegian airport
authorities to get the necessary changes.
And what Ryanair demanded, is not easy to
accept for AviNor:
- Longer
runway ( today it's 1.600 meter. They
need 2.000 meter for their new 190 seat
Boeing 737-800).
- Lower
or no landing taxes - and low handling
rates.
The cost
question will be handled. The runway question
seems to be possible to solve. At the moment,
we expect the longer airport to be ready
in September, October 2003, at a cost of
50 Mill NOK. A local airport development
company has been formed to initiate the
needed changes and negotiations with the
authorities.
Ryanair must
have liked what they saw and heard when
being presented to Haugesund and haugalandet.
April 30. they start off - with one daily
connection from Stansted - to Haugesund
- and back to Stansted. This is not the
London airport, and if you want to go by London
and use Ryanair, you will normally have
to bring yourself and your luggage
between Stansted and Heathrow.
But Ryanair has dozens of European connections
- from Stansted! From now on, one of them
is for Haugesund airport, Karmøy.
Until the
2000 m. runway is ready, they will use smaller
Boeing 737-machines.
Without trying,
you can't win. Ryanair has vitalized dozens
of airport nearby important towns in Europe.
They did it with Torp, Sandefjord. Now -
we hope for them to give us the same development.
And - in April - we get another new connection,
too. The Fjord Line cruise and ferry company
start off with a new ferry from Bergen and
Haugesund to and from Denmark.
This give us direct connection to the continent.
Our local tourist authorities are working
hard now to make the Haugalandet region
ready to handle the possibilities. And remember
- with these new connections - Haugalandet
will become a new and exiting gateway
to Fjord Norway!
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