Stena Line reported a 10% increase in passengers on its Dublin to Holyhead route in February and claimed that passenger dismay at air travel conditions was a big contributor to the shift. Gunnar Blomdahl, Stena Line chief executive, said his business had ramped up service standards while Ryanair, the dominant carrier between London and Dublin, had gone in the other direction with its "insulting" staff.
"I think we have benefited from all the trouble you have at the airport. First you are insulted by a Ryanair person, then you have to get through security," he said. "We have gone the other way and made it easier. The ferries are also much better than they were four or five years ago."
The Dublin-Holyhead crossing was an often notorious experience for the vast majority of travellers who could not afford the high fares on Aer Lingus and British Airways. Rough weather and drab facilities made it an arduous journey, but Blomdahl said Stena had improved its boats beyond recognition over the past five years. He added that public rumblings over add-on charges and service standards at Ryanair had coincided with a concerted effort by ferry operators to win back business.
Asked about reactions to Ryanair's charging regime, he said: "Everybody is talking about it, so there must be an opinion that it is not fun. They have gone the other way when it comes to improvements. We have improved our product."
A Rynair spokesman said the airline was unaffected by the Swedish company's revival. A spokesman said: "Please ignore the ramblings of Stena Lines's Captain Hook. Ryanair carried more passengers to and from London in February than the entire ferry industry carried on all routes to and from Ireland. Ferry travel is simply for those transporting bullocks."
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