150 jobs to go as Ryanair reduces Dublin traffic by 20%
Ryanair has today confirmed that it will further reduce its flights and traffic at Dublin Airport this summer by up to 20%.
The move will mean the loss of 150 jobs for pilots, crew & engineers, and will also put many support jobs at risk.
The Irish airline has blamed as DAA airport charges and the Government's €10 air travel tax continue for the decision.
These cuts come one week after BMI announced the closure of its Dublin base and cuts in its Dublin-Heathrow flights from seven to four this summer.
Ryanair said that it expects total traffic at Dublin Airport to fall from 20 million to 18 million in 2010.
Details of the cuts in Ryanair services are as follows:
* A 17% cut in Dublin-based summer fleet (from 18 in 2009 to 15 aircraft in 2010).
* A 19% cut in weekly rotations (from more than 600 to less than 500).
* A 20% cut in Ryanair’s Dublin traffic from 8.7m to approx 6.5m in the year to March 2011.
* The loss of 150 Ryanair jobs (pilots, crew & engineers).
Further cuts in Ryanair’s Dublin winter schedule will be announced later.
"Ireland in general, and Dublin Airport in particular, are now high cost destinations, compared to other European cities where airports are lowering costs and Governments are scrapping tourist taxes," said a Ryanair statement.
"Ryanair’s operations at Dublin Airport will focus on higher yield, outbound, peak month, summer sun routes, rather than stimulating year-round inbound tourism with low access fares."
Ryanair today also announced a range of extra holiday flights from Dublin for the three peak summer months of June, July and August 2010 to Alicante, Canary Islands, Faro and Malaga.
Ryanair expects to grow by more than seven million passengers to 73 million this year with the opening of new bases in Bari, Brindisi, Faro, Malaga, Oslo (Rygge) and Leeds Bradford.
“The DAA’s high costs and the Govt’s €10 tourist tax have already cost Ireland more than 3m passengers in 2009,” said Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary.
"Today’s further cut backs means Ryanair will carry two million less passengers at Dublin and one million fewer passengers at Shannon in 2010/11.
“Irish tourism is now suffering a Government-induced tourism collapse under the weight of the €10 tourist tax and the extraordinary anti-consumer order by the Dept of Transport (to the Aviation Regulator) to approve increases in DAA fees of 40% to pay for a Terminal 2 which Dublin’s airlines neither want nor need.
“At a time when governments and airports all over Europe are scrapping taxes and slashing fees to win Ryanair’s traffic growth, sadly the Irish Government is more interested in protecting its high-cost DAA monopoly at the expense of consumers or of our tourism industry and until this damaging policy is reversed, Dublin Airport and Irish tourism will continue to suffer traffic cuts and job losses.”
