Ryanair points finger at Irish government after axing routes and jobs

Mar 17 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

Low-fares airline Ryanair axed more routes and jobs at Dublin Airport yesterday, blaming a surge in aviation charges.

The budget carrier – which also flies out of Birmingham – already claimed a tourism tax is forcing it to drop four planes from its Irish base with the loss of 200 jobs.

But chief executive Michael O’Leary said he was forced to take another plane out of circulation and axe a further 50 staff this summer because of a hike in charges from the Irish Aviation Authority. And another 150 jobs are expected to be lost in Dublin later this year when the airline details cuts to its winter service.

Mr O’Leary said: “At a time when governments and airports all over Europe are reducing costs in order to stimulate tourism, the Irish Government is raising costs and introducing taxes which can only damage tourism.”

Mr O’Leary said the jobs will be lost in July and will affect mainly cabin crew and check-in staff.

“We’ll be switching aircraft out of Dublin and re-basing them at other cheaper European airports,” Mr O’Leary said.

From July the airline will axe four routes, from Dublin to Basle, Doncaster, Teesside, and Oporto in Portugal.

Frequency will also be reduced on a further eight routes from Dublin, to Aberdeen, Biarritz, Billund, Bournemouth, Carcassonne, East Midlands, Malaga and Rome.

Ryanair launched a stinging attack on the Irish Government last month for introducing its 10 euro (£9) travel tax, which comes into effect next month, claiming it would devastate the Irish airline industry.

The airline mogul said he was forced to cut the number of Dublin-based aircraft from 22 to 18, but now he has revised the figure to 17, blaming a 12 per cent hike in air traffic control (ATC) fees.

Mr O’Leary hit out at the aviation regulator, Cathal Guiomard, for rubber-stamping the ATC charge increases, demanding he be sacked.

He also attacked Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland, claiming their funding should be cut as they have not lived up to their responsibilities.

“Reduce the budget for Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland, neither of whom have ever delivered tourists to this country,” he said.