Ryanair to cut Dublin flights

RYANAIR is cutting the number of weekly flights to and from Dublin this winter from 1,350 to 1,200, a drop of 12%.

The number of aircraft serving the route drops from 22 to 18, a decline or 18%.

The airline denied the decision was linked to soaring oil prices and said the continuing rise in airport charges was the main reason for the group’s decision to cut traffic at Dublin when it was difficult to offset costs in the off-peak season.

“The key issue here is Dublin is going to lose 500,000 passengers this winter and it couldn’t happen to a nicer monopoly”, which was just “a regulated rip-off”, said Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary.

As a result of the airline’s action the DAA will lose €5m in passenger fees and commercial income while close to 500 jobs will be lost at the airport, mostly through natural wastage as positions are not filled, he said.

And for the first time in 25 years traffic at Dublin Airport will fall, he said.

Mr O’Leary denied oil at near record highs was linked to the decision to reduce operations at Dublin for the winter season.

However the company previously warned that if oil stayed at €130 per barrel for the year it would keep earning flat in the current year.

At this point the group is not changing its earnings guidance to the markets, said Mr O’Leary.

Earlier yesterday Ryanair announced four new routes from its base in Stockholm from October, along with an increased frequency on four other routes.

Speaking at a news conference in Dublin Mr O’Leary, condemned the airport authority’s refusal to lower charges.

Dublin is the carrier’s second most expensive base after Stansted, which is also a state monopoly, the Ryanair boss said.

Ryanair will also be announcing cuts at Stansted tomorrow for the same reasons.

Written requests to the DAA for some cost reductions on airport charges were turned down, he said.

He also attacked the actions of the aviation regulator who “continues to rubber-stamp unjustified Dublin Airport cost increases, including a recent 50% increase in check-in-desks charges”.

Since 2003 airlines have faced a 40% hike in passenger charges and a 200% rise in check-in charges, he said.

“If a competing second terminal was being built at Dublin Airport, airport charges would be falling and facilities would be improving,” he said.

The upshot of the changes is that Warsaw will have no flights out of Dublin this winter down from seven, while the number of flights to Leeds Bradford will fall form 19 to 13.