Ryanair is to close two of the seven routes it operates from Cork. Flights from the Irish hub to East Midlands and Glasgow (Prestwick) will stop from the end of October. The low-cost carrier says this follows a 20% increase in charges being imposed on these two routes, and the cancellations will result in loss of 100,000 passengers at Cork this winter, amounting to a 6% drop in traffic at the airport.

Speaking today in Cork, Michael O’Leary said: “We regret that we have to close these two daily routes to/from Cork.  However, a 20% increase in airport charges on these routes reduces our ability to offer really low fares at a time of higher oil prices and these higher costs will make these two new routes loss making this winter.

“The loss of these flights, 200,000 passengers, €20,000,000 in tourism revenue and 200 jobs could have been avoided if Cork Airport had agreed to continue the current low cost agreement on these routes.  However, Ryanair can not and will not absorb a 20% increase in costs just to keep loss making routes open at a high cost airport like Cork”.
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