RYANAIR customers could face fare increases following the European parliament’s decision to give airports sole responsibility for the transfer of disabled passengers but to make airlines pay for the service.

“We have no difficulty with an appropriate levy being passed on to the airlines, as long as it is to recover the cost of this service and does not contain any further profit or add-on fee by the British Airports Authority for assisting disabled passengers,” said Peter Sherrard, Ryanair’s head of communications. “Any such fee will be passed on to all passengers, and will replace our existing wheelchair levy which will thereafter be removed.”

Sherrard insists the change will be “revenue neutral” for passengers based on the swapping out of the controversial wheelchair levy. However, there is no guarantee the airports will contain costs for the service to the estimated €17m Ryanair forced its passengers to pay in extra charges to cover its share of the costs of providing it.

Under the EU measure, the total number of passengers an airline transfers through an airport will determine the amount it pays to cover the costs incurred in handling disabled and incapacitated passengers. In Dublin, Ryanair has 40% of the traffic and so would be expected to pick up a proportionate amount of the bill. It is estimated that it costs around €50 to transfer a wheelchair-bound passenger.

The proposal is due to go before the European Council for ratification in March.

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