21st Jul 2009 11:00
RYANAIR CUTS STANSTED WINTER CAPACITY BY 40%
Ryanair, the World's favourite airline, today (21st July 09) announced a 40% capacity cutback in its Stansted Winter Schedule starting in October '09. Ryanair operated 40 aircraft from Stansted this summer but will reduce this to 24 aircraft (a 40% reduction) this winter with a 30% reduction in the number of weekly flights and a loss of 2.5m passengers at Stansted between October and March 2010.
Ryanair is cutting Stansted winter capacity by 40% for the following reasons:
BAA Stansted is one of Ryanair's two most expensive bases (Dublin is the other) and the BAA has rejected Ryanair's calls for deep cuts in these high passenger fees this winter.
2. The UK Government will increase its £10 tourist tax (APD) to £11 in November despite the continuing traffic and tourism collapse (down 6% in June) at the BAA's UK airports.
3. The BAA Monopoly continues to increase airport charges as traffic falls and the BAA delays the sale of Gatwick and Stansted airports.
BAA TRAFFIC COLLAPSES WHILE RYANAIR GROWS
|
Traffic |
BAA |
Ryanair |
|
June '08 |
13.5m |
5.1m |
|
June '09 |
12.7m |
5.8m |
|
Change |
-0.8m |
+0.7m |
In recent months the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments have all scrapped tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism. Ryanair will now switch these 16 aircraft to other European bases where governments are scrapping tourist taxes and/or reducing passenger fees to zero. Ryanair has written to Gordon Brown calling for this Government to scrap this damaging tourist tax and pushing for much lower, more competitive airport fees at the BAA Monopoly airports.
Announcing this 40% winter cutback at Stansted, Michael O'Leary said:
"Sadly UK traffic and tourism continues to collapse while Ryanair continues to grow traffic rapidly in those countries which welcome tourists instead of taxing them. Ryanair's 40% capacity cutback at London Stansted shows just how much Gordon Brown's £10 tourist tax and the BAA Monopoly's high airport charges are damaging London and UK tourism and the British economy generally.
"In recent months the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments have all scrapped tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism. These cutbacks underline the urgent need to; (a) break-up the high cost BAA Airport Monopoly (as recommended by the Competition Commission) and (b)scrap Gordon Brown's insane and damaging £10 tourist tax which has caused UK traffic to collapse".
Ends. Tuesday, 21st July 2009
For further information please contact:
Stephen McNamara Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Ltd Murray Consultants
Tel: +353-1-8121212 Tel. +353-1-4980300
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