Ryanair Reduces Flights from Dublin

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Less than a month after announcing a 40 percent decrease in service to Stansted, Ryanair has announced a 20 percent reduction in flights from its Dublin base this coming winter, citing a collapse in air traffic and high airport duties for the exodus.

The low-cost carrier is cutting the number of weekly flights to 1,000 from 1,200 and the number of planes to 14 from 18. It estimates that its Dublin traffic this winter will decline by a further 250,000 passengers compared to last winter, and an overall loss of 2 million passengers in 2009 Dublin Airport.

Ryanair says Dublin is one of the airline's two most expensive base airports, the other being Stansted. It also says the Irish government’s tourist tax makes Ireland an uncompetitive tourist destination at a time when other European governments have scrapped their tourist taxes.