Ryanair to pull flights at Shannon
Ryanair intends to pull three of its four aircraft from Shannon Airport at a loss of 100 jobs because of the new €10 departure tax.
The airline's boss, Michael O'Leary said this week that the new tax would be 'responsible for closing Shannon Airport' and that air traffic there would be cut dramatically.
Ryanair plans to cut its passenger numbers through Shannon Airport from two million to a mere 750,000.
traffic
The airline's chief executive said that the reduction brought on by the €10 departure tax announced in the Budget would doom the mid-west airport.
He said that while Ryanair was to account for 60pc of Shannon's traffic this year, next year it would cut the number of aircraft based there from four to one, with the loss of 100 jobs.
"You will see tumbleweed rolling across the ground at Shannon," said Mr O'Leary.
"This travel tax has been badly thought out and the Government will effectively be responsible for closing Shannon Airport."
- Lisa-Anne Crookes
