Ryanair is to stop all flights from both Belfast international airport and Belfast City airport, in a further blow to connectivity between Northern Ireland and the rest of Europe.
The airline blamed government passenger duty and the absence of any Covid recovery incentives for the two airports.
“Due to the UK government’s refusal to suspend or reduce APD [air passenger duty], and the lack of Covid recovery incentives from both Belfast airports, this winter Ryanair will cease operations from Belfast international and Belfast City airport from the end of the summer schedule in October, and these aircraft will be reallocated to lower-cost airports elsewhere in the UK and Europe for the winter schedule, which starts in November,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
You know what? I don’t believe them.
It will stop its flights from Belfast international to six destinations – Alicante, Málaga, Kraków, Gdansk, Warsaw and Milan – by 30 October.
Half the flights are to Poland – from Ulster? – and it really wouldn’t be all that much of a surprise if Brexit and the changes in free movement of labour had something of an effect now, would it?
It’s got to be part of it, wot with Ruinair being renowned subsidy-chasers.
You may have a point Tim. The whinge about the lack of agricultural laborers is continuing in Oz. Too many idle old drongos like me lolling in front of a computer screen I’d guess.
Lemme see.. The three polish hubs, the two main spanish tourist trap areas, and Little China in Italy.
Tell the Govt to fuck off and that you wont be collecting any more of their rip offs for them. Make them send costumed thugs against you and put a note on the tickets that you will pay legal expenses for any passengers that wade into Plod to help stop any raids etc.
The Govt will shit itself to stop you but having raised the standard against jumping when political scum shout frog will put RyanAir in the history books and make more defiance more likely. Sooner or later some rebellion somewhere will stick and a whole new world begins. One in which people realise that Govt are just thieving arrogant pukes trying it on.