Ryanair 'plan major flights reduction'
20.07.09
Ryanair is planning a major flights reduction from Prestwick Airport this winter, The Herald reports. The newspaper says that its capacity is to be cut by nearly a third as its number of routes are reduced from 24 to 16.
The budget airline is facing pressure from a downturn in aviation and a rise in air passenger duty, but has so far largely maintained its destination network from Prestwick this summer. However, its agreement to base planes at Edinburgh Airport is reported to have had a dramatic impact on passenger numbers at Prestwick, which has been compounded by the recession.
Both the airline and airport said talks over the winter schedule, which is due to begin in October, were ongoing and flights could yet be added. However, information used within the industry, based on information supplied by airlines, shows a 30% reduction in Ryanair's seating capacity at Prestwick Airport this December compared to a year earlier, while the network of destinations served has been reduced by 8.
Ryanair has already axed services to Bournemouth and Krakow. Among the routes due to go in October are Budapest, Milan, Rome, Stockholm, Marseille and Frankfurt Hahn. Realistically, unless the airline puts flights for these routes on sale for this winter soon - within the next month - they will not go on sale at all.
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