21st Jul 2020 20:42
(Alliance News) - Budget airline Ryanair Holdings PLC will shutter its base at Frankfurt Hahn Airport and is considering doing the same in Berlin Tegel and Weeze Airport near the Dutch border, Ryanair division Malta Air said in an internal memo seen by dpa on Tuesday.
The move comes after majority of German pilots voted against a proposed deal of savings including paycuts that Ryanair said were required because of disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We must move on to deliver savings in other ways and adjust our German operations to tackle the unsustainable cost base at our German airports," the Malta Air memo said.
German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit said late Tuesday that as many as 170 pilots could be affected by the decision, adding that negotiations with the airline had not been concluded.
The airline's British-based pilots accepted pay cuts of up to 20% on July 8, with a similar deal announced in Ireland five days earlier.
Last week Ryanair announced it would cut "up to 1,000 flights" between Ireland and Britain during August and September, blaming the Irish government for its requirement that arrivals self-isolate for 14 days.
Described as Europe's largest airline, Ireland's Ryanair said in May that it would cut 3,000 jobs due to the pandemic, which has brought international travel to a near-standstill.
The virus has infected almost 15 million people and killed over 610,000, according to official figures collated by Johns Hopkins University.
source: dpa
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