Ryanair To Cut Winter Flights

Ryanair has announced it will temporarily close bases at seven airports in Europe and cut back on the number of flights from Stansted airport as part of its 'Winter Schedule'.

Operations will cease for more than a month at Basel, Budapest, Krakow, Palma, Rzeszow, Salzburg and Valencia airports.

The airline said the costs at these airports were among the most expensive in Europe.

Ryanair said it would operate 28 aircraft at Stansted starting in October, down from 40. Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told a London news conference he expects the cutbacks to cost 900 jobs at the airport northeast of London, including 150 Ryanair employees.

Mr O'Leary admitted oil topping $140 a barrel was partly to blame for grounding some of its 166-strong fleet.

He said: "These Winter Schedule cutbacks, which are significantly greater than those of last Winter, show just how damaging the BAA Airport monopoly has become to consumers and the best interests of London and UK tourism and the economy generally. Like most monopolies, the BAA continues to increase costs at three times the rate of inflation, while delivering miserable service and inadequate facilities. Passengers continue to suffer long queues at security and passport control and frequent baggage belt failures at Stansted because the BAA refuses to staff or operate these facilities adequately.

"These cutbacks reaffirm the abject failure of Harry Bush and his inadequate regulatory team in the CAA who have repeatedly failed to restrain the BAA's high charges, price increases or to encourage them to meet the reasonable requirements of Stansted users by developing the efficient facilities we need and are willing to pay for."

(CD/JM)