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Ryanair slashes Stansted flights
Tuesday, 22 Jul, 2009
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Ryanair is cutting capacity from Stansted by 40% this winter.
The number of aircraft based at the BAA airport will be reduced from October to 24 from 40 being flown this summer.
This will result in a 30% reduction in the number of weekly flights and a loss of 2.5 million passengers between October and March 2010, the low fares carrier claims.
CEO Michael O’Leary attacked high charges at the airport and government plans to raise Air Passenger Duty from November from £10 to £11 on European flights.
“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.”
* Do you think BAA’s airport charges and the Government’s APD rise are the real reasons behind Ryanair’s decision? Send us your views by clicking on ADD A COMMENT below.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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