Ryanair throttles back in Spanish market as costs rise ©

                                                   
Ryanair today announced "Severe cuts" to its Summer 2013 schedule in Spain reducing operations by 12%
the second successive downsizing of operations at Barcelona and Madrid bases after cuts in winter schedule with the loss of 4.5 million passengers and 648 weekly flights from 30th March 2013 unless "The airport operator imposes the same rates as before", the hike will cost €75-80 million more than paid in 2012 said Ryanair.

Ryanair Deputy CEO Michael Cawley said "Ryanair opposes the Spanish government's decision to double the airport charges at airports in Barcelona El Prat and Madrid Barajas and the increase in the rest of Spanish airports. Unfortunately, this will lead back to a significant decline in traffic, tourism and jobs in both airports for the summer of 2013 as part of an overall reduction of 12% of Ryanair's operations in Spain".

The airline plans to cut Barcelona El Prat base operations by 23% reducing base fleet from 13 to 12 Boeing 737-800s, terminating four routes to Alicante, Lubeck, Munich and Trieste and reducing frequency on 20 other routes , with the loss of 170 weekly flights and 1.2 million passengers.

At its Madrid  Barajas base it plans to cut operations by 35% reducing base fleet from 14 to 10 aircraft, terminating thirteen routes to Almería, Ancona, Bari, Gerona, Eindhoven, Frankfurt (Hahn), Genoa, London (Gatwick), Poznan, Stockholm (Skavsta), Turin and Verona, with reduced frequency on 22 other routes, with the loss of 272 weekly flights and 1.9 million passengers.

Ryanair plans to grow by 4% in 2013 to 79 million passengers with delivery of 7 new Boeing 737-800s and re-locating five aircraft from Spain to East Midlands and Manchester also to Greece, Portugal and airports "more affordable" .

AENA sources have pointed to EFE that airport charges in 2011 covered 63.5% of the costs, whose renovation in 2012 enough to cover 73.5% and 76.7% in 2013, the increase in airport charges next year is equivalent to €0.85 euros per ticket.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 28th November 2012 All Rights Reserved.

Ryanair returns to Strasbourg in April 2013 ©

                                                     
Ryanair today announced its returning to Strasbourg Airport * from 3rd April 2013 , launching two new routes to London Stansted operating three times weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and Porto twice weekly (Tuesday and Saturday) the two routes are expected to generate 75,000 passengers.

The carrier suspended the double daily Strasbourg to London Stansted route on 24th September 2003 following a judgment of the court of Strasbourg Administrative Court following Brit Air complaint removing subsidies by the ICC, Ryanair switched the London Stansted route to Karlsruhe Baden-Baden.

Strasburg Airport CEO Thomas Dubus said "We did a lot of work to lower airport fees and costs charged to companies to be more competitive".

Strasbourg airport began this year an ambitious development project commercial, without any public subsidy. Implemented to strengthen the competitiveness and the attractiveness of the airport. It is based primarily on reduction and optimization of operating costs incurred by all airlines (Taxes, Fees, support costs).

Strasbourg Airport or Aéroport de Strasbourg is located in Entzheim and 10 km west-southwest of Strasbourg, both communes of the Bas-Rhin département in the Alsace région of France, ranks as the twelfth largest regional airport in France with 1.08 million passengers in 2011.

*28th French Airport served by Ryanair.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 28th November 2012 All Rights Reserved.

Ryanair welcomes 30th Millionth passenger at its Brussels South Charleroi Base ©

                                                     
Ryanair welcomed its 30th Millionth passenger at its Brussels South Charleroi Airport Base on 26th October, initially the airline launched with a single route from Dublin to Charleroi back in May 1997. The airline established its first European Base at Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) in April 2001 with two Boeing 737-800s operating routes to Carcassonne, London Stansted, Pisa, Prestwick, Shannon and Venice Treviso.

Since establishing the Brussels South Charleroi base in 2001 it has been progressively expanded the base to 16 Boeing 737-800s operating 80 routes carrying 5 million passengers.

Jonathan Brisy said "Ryanair is very proud today to cross the milestone of 30 million passengers traveled to / from the airport Brussels South Charleroi since its inception in 1997. Ryanair accounts for more than 80% of the volume of traffic and transport BSCA more than 5 million passengers this year, thus maintaining more than 5,000 local jobs ".

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 28th November 2012 All Rights Reserved.