Ryanair to Cut Capacity, Flights at London Stansted

Ryanair has announced substantial capacity cutbacks at the London Stansted Airport for its winter 2008 schedule. The airline, which had 36 aircraft based at Stansted in winter 2007, will reduce that number to 28 aircraft in winter 2008, a 25% reduction.

The airline has also announced an approximate 14% reduction in the number of weekly flights from over 1,850 per week in 2007, to just under 1,600 in 2008. Ryanair estimates that its traffic at London Stansted will decline by some 900,000 passengers in winter 2008.

Ryanair confirmed that it will lose less money winter 2008 by sitting these eight aircraft on the ground, rather than flying them at an expensive airport like British Airports Authority (BAA) operated Stansted, during the winter 2008 when fares are extremely low, but oil prices remain high.

Michael Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said: “These winter schedule cutbacks, which are significantly greater than those of last winter, show just how damaging the BAA Airport monopoly has become to consumers and the best interests of London and UK tourism and the economy generally.”