Ryanair, an Ireland-based low-cost airline, is trimming its services to Budapest in Hungary from the UK.
The airline is planning to reduce its routes to Budapest, by terminating its services from Birmingham Airport. The airline is blaming the cuts on Budapest Airport’s decision to increase its charges, and plans to reduce its five aircraft fleet based out of Budapest airport to three, as a result.
The airline is also considering cutting back on its routes from Budepest to Baden, Bologna, Dusseldorf, Krakow, Lubeck, Malaga, Munich, Oslo and Thessaloniki in Europe.
The airline is also planning to reduce its capacities on nine of the twenty remaining routes from Budapest.
Michael O’Leary, the airline chief executive officer, said, ‘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 per annum 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.’
The airline has recently introduced its new onboard menu offering a full range of food, snacks and drinks. The Getaway Cafe includes new menu additions, as well as traditional onboard favourites. The service is also offering a gourmet Snack Pack box and economical monthly meal bargains.
