Jobs to be axed as Ryanair cuts flights
Ryanair today announced plans to cut flights from Liverpool airport, with the loss of 50 jobs, blaming “high and rising” UK government passenger duty as well as falling sterling exchange rates.
There had been a “devastating impact” on the airport, which had become a higher cost destination and uncompetitive against other European cities, said the airline.
Ryanair said its business continued to grow at airports where governments did not impose such “idiotic” taxes. The company announced it was reducing aircraft operating from Liverpool from seven to six, cutting flights and axing jobs among pilots, cabin crew and engineers.
Further cuts in Ryanair’s winter schedule at Liverpool will be announced later.
Spokesman Michael Cawley said: “The combination of the high cost government airport passenger duty (APD) and falls in sterling has already created a traffic collapse at Liverpool Airport.
“The decision by the UK Government to continue to impose high charges and increase them over the next two years is completely unacceptable given the current economic climate.
“Ryanair has repeatedly called for this tax to be scrapped by highlighting that such travel taxes have failed in both the UK and Dutch markets, where they immediately resulted in traffic declines and sadly these declines look set to continue. This Government must realise you can only promote tourism by welcoming visitors, not taxing them.
“These cuts can and will be reversed if the Government’s greedy APD is scrapped – only then can we grow passenger traffic at Liverpool and throughout the UK.”
