Ryanair to cut winter capacity at Stansted

Ryanair said it plans to cut winter-schedule seating capacity by 40 per cent at its London Stansted airport base, citing fees and UK taxes.

Ryanair cuts winter flights at Stansted

Ryanair said today it would cut 40 per cent of its winter flights at London's Stansted airport from October in protest to taxes and charges imposed on tourists.

Stansted has been Ryanair’s biggest hub with more passenger traffic than in Dublin but the airline said it will reduce the number of aircraft based there this winter to 24 from 40 this summer.

Last year it operated 36 aircraft from Stansted during the summer and 28 in the winter.

The airline said it would switch these 16 aircraft to other European states were governments have reduced or removed travel fees or those where no passenger fees applied.

Ryanair has long criticised British airport operator BAA, a unit of Ferrovial, as well as Irish airport operator DAA, for their high fees, and both governments for levying travel taxes. The UK imposed the tax in 2007 and the Irish Government introduced it in April.

“What we have asked Stansted this year and last year is to reduce the charges through the winter period,” Mr O’Leary said at press conference in London today. “It is not an unreasonable proposition.”

Mr O’Leary said the service reductions at Stanstead were partly a response to a proposal to raise the tax to €11 in November.

Last month Ryanair said it would remove one aircraft from Dublin and another from Shannon for its winter schedule from October.

Ryanair has already taken five aircraft out of its schedule at Dublin airport this year and this winter it will operate 16 aircraft from Dublin and three from Shannon.

Additional reporting Reuters/Bloomberg