EasyJet is preparing to do "battle" with Ryanair at Dublin Airport.
That's according to Air and Travel Magazine Editor Eoghan Corry, who was speaking as the British airline secured take-off and landing slots in the capital.
The carrier, which set up an Austrian subsidy after the UK left the EU, previously had some short-lived services from Shannon, Cork and Knock in the early 2000s.
Eoghan told The Pat Kenny Show an airline securing slots does not necessarily translate to flights.
"It doesn't always mean they'll be used," he said.
"Ryanair famously apply for slots all over Europe - it keeps people like me speculating [about] what routes they're going to open.
"Maybe 20% to 30% of them will eventually open.
"So, there's no guarantee they'll use them - but the fact they've applied for them...it shows that they're ready to go back to battle with Ryanair.
"Nobody goes to battle with Ryanair in Dublin since the Go experience way back in 2004; and EasyJet's experience with Cork and Shannon and Knock back in 2005".
'Third force in Dublin'
Eoghan said DAA chief executive, Kenny Jacobs, has been hoping to boost competition.
"The other thing that is rumbling away in the background - and it's something Kenny Jacobs said to me a little while ago - he'd love to see a third force at Dublin Airport," he said.
"It's a very green and blue airport - Aer Lingus at Terminal 2, Ryanair in Terminal 1 - and since the pandemic the balance has really got more towards Ryanair.
"That means a lot of usage of Terminal 1, a lot of usage of those 100 gates.
"He'd like to see a third, major airline come in to keep them from exploiting the public in whatever way they can - through fares or baggage or the way they operate their services," he added.
