RYANAIR CUTS MADRID & BARCELONA FLIGHTS IN RESPONSE TO SPANISH GOVT TAX INCREASES

2012-07-20 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low cost airline, today (20 July) confirmed deep cuts to its flights at Madrid and Barcelona this winter in response to the Spanish Govt doubling airport departure taxes at both Madrid and Barcelona El Prat airports on 1 July last. From November, Ryanair will make the following reductions in Madrid and Barcelona:

Madrid:

·         3 aircraft cut (from 14 to 11);

·         11 routes cancelled;

·         24 route frequency cuts;

·         252 weekly flights cut;

·         1.3m pax lost (from 5.3m to 4m);

·         1,300 local jobs lost (ACI).

Barcelona El Prat:

·         2 aircraft cut (from 13 to 11);

·         4 routes cancelled;

·         22 route frequency cuts;

·         240 weekly flights cut;

·         1m pax lost (from 5.4m to 4.4m);

·         1,000 local jobs lost (ACI).

Ryanair cuts are the unavoidable response to the Spanish Govt’s doubling of airport taxes at both Madrid and Barcelona El Prat airports. These extortionate tax increases are particularly damaging to Spanish tourism, jobs and the economy at a time when Spanish youth unemployment stands at an alarming 50%.

In Madrid, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“Ryanair objects to the Spanish Govt’s decision to double airport taxes at both Madrid and Barcelona airports. Sadly, this will lead to severe traffic, tourism and job cuts at both airports this winter. Ryanair’s cuts alone will cause a combined loss of 2.3m passengers and over 2,000 jobs at Madrid and Barcelona El Prat airports to other lower cost airports elsewhere in Europe, where Ryanair continues to grow. These route and traffic cuts can be reversed but only when the Spanish Govt and its airports monopoly AENA reverse these tax increases and cuts its high airport charges”