Low cost carrier Ryanair is making 40% cuts at its Budapest base with the closure of 10 routes and loss of over 280 weekly flights from 10 Jan 2013. The move will result in 800 job cuts, according to the carrier.

The carrier claimed the cuts were made after the Hochtief-run airport increased charges, refused to provide efficient facilities and failed to offer a competitive cost base for future growth offered by Ryanair.

Michael O’Leary explains: “Ryanair regrets Hochtief Budapest Airport’s decision to increase charges, impose inefficient facilities and reject our proposals for a competitive growth offer which would have allowed Ryanair to grow traffic and routes at Budapest.

“Ryanair will now switch 2 aircraft from Budapest with the loss of 10 routes, reductions on 9 others and the loss of 110 weekly flights. Sadly, 800,000 passengers p.a. and over 800 jobs will be lost by Budapest to other airports elsewhere in Europe, where Ryanair will continue to grow.

With 1.2m passengers and 20 routes, Ryanair will remain one of the 2 largest airlines operating at Budapest, but Hochtief cannot continue to ignore the competitive marketplace, where airports all over Europe have been reducing costs and offering efficient facilities in return for traffic growth. We hope there is a way to reverse these cuts to ensure further Ryanair growth at Budapest,” O’Leary added.