Ryanair to close number of bases starting next year

Ryanair will close a number of bases due to the late delivery of up to 30 Boeing MAX aircraft from next year.

Ryanair spokesperson told AeroTime: “As announced on July 16, 2019, due to the late delivery of up to 30 Boeing MAX aircraft this winter a number of Ryanair bases will be cut or closed this winter.

“These consultations are taking place with our people at affected bases currently. No routes will be affected as they will be served by flights from other bases from November when the winter schedule starts,” the spokesperson added

The company expects that it will receive its first Boeing Max200 between January and February.

“Ryanair will now revise its summer 2020 schedule based on 30 incremental aircraft, rather than 58. This will cut Ryanair’s summer 2020 growth rate from 7% to 3%, and means full year traffic growth for the year to March 2021 will be cut from 162m guests to approximately 157m,” said Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary.

Ryanair did not specify which bases are going to be closed. However, industrial action at some bases are already hinting of which ones it might be.

According to Portuguese media, Faro Airport will be one of the bases which Ryanair will close in winter.

Accessibility to the region will not be affected by the closure of Ryanair’s base in Faro in January 2020, Algarve Tourism President João Fernandes told the Portuguese news agency Lusa.

Ryanair’s spokesperson also confirmed that neither routes or frequencies to and from Faro will be affected by the closure of Ryanair’s base, as it plans to operate like the other 41 airlines flying to and from Faro airport ‒ without having a base there.

Cabin Crew Union president said that Ryanair is closing its base at Faro airport in January 2020. This would result in layoffs of some 100 workers, but flights would be maintained, as it is reported by Lusa.

SNPVAC cabin crew had called a strike August 21-25, 2019.

Source: https://bit.ly/2YWVwRg

Image: Ryanair