Ryanair drops more routes
Ryanair has announced further cuts to services from Edinburgh, where overall passenger numbers fell almost 3% last month.
The airline is to close eight routes, leading to the loss of 60 weekly flights from October.
It blamed the decision on the ariport’s refusal to offer "a competitive cost base". It has been trying to negotiate lower air traffic control costs with the airport – which has been put up for sale by BAA – but talks have broken down.
Ryanair said as a result of the route cuts its traffic from Edinburgh would fall by 500,000 passengers a year, down to 1.3m, leading to the loss of up to 500 jobs at the airport.
However, Edinburgh Airport said the job and passenger losses were "speculative." Managing director Jim O’Sullivan said: "Of course we are disappointed that Ryanair has announced that it will reduce its services from Edinburgh. It was expected as we saw similar cuts in last year’s winter schedule.
"The numbers quoted on any passenger and job impacts are speculative and we look forward to further negotiations with Ryanair once the sale of the airport is concluded.
"However, our position remains the same. We have tried extremely hard to negotiate with Ryanair but sadly on many issues have not been able to find common ground. We continue not to be able to accept their wish to not pay the agreed air traffic control costs that all other airlines pay.
"As ever, our focus remains on providing managed, sustained and high value growth matching the aspirations of our city."
Routes that will be dropped this winter by Ryanair are Bratislava, Bremen, Frankfurt, Fuerteventura, Gothenburg, Kaunas, Lodz and Poznan.
The airline has already dropped five routes from Edinburgh for the summer and it has warned that further cuts might be necessary this winter unless it is able to agree with the airport an extension "with more competitive terms" to its five-year agreement, which expires in October.
The cutbacks will leave Ryanair with 17 routes out of Edinburgh this winter and a total of 108 weekly flights. The airline said the cuts could be reversed if it receives a better terms from the airport.
Ryanair’s Michael Cawley said: "While Ryanair remains committed to Edinburgh Airport, the BAA Edinburgh monopoly cannot continue to ignore the competitive marketplace, where airports all over the UK and Europe have been reducing costs and lowering charges in return for traffic growth. We hope there is a way to reverse these cuts to ensure further Ryanair growth at Edinburgh."
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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