Loss of 5,000 flights and 150 jobs – as the Portuguese government failed to act
Ryanair announces on 8 March that it has been forced to reduce the number of Lisbon-based aircraft from 7 to 4 for summer 2022, causing the cancellation of 5,000 flights and 19 routes from Lisbon in Summer 2022 and the loss of 900,000 passengers. This action is due to the fact that TAP continues to block slots at Lisbon airport, which it cannot and will not use this summer. The cancellations will reduce travel options for all visitors, as well as the loss of 150 high-paying aviation jobs in Lisbon.
These cancellations – which could have been avoided – take place after numerous attempts, on the part of Ryanair, to ask the Portuguese Government to intervene in the release of unused slots by TAP in Summer 2022. While Ryanair continues to contribute to growth and investment in Portugal, TAP received 3 billion euros in state aid, reduced its fleet by 20%, furloughed thousands of people and freed up only less than 5% of its slots in Lisbon, thus blocking the growth of other airlines. Preventing competitors like Ryanair from using these unused slots has a negative impact on Lisbon’s economy, with 5,000 flights cancelled (more than 950,000 seats less), 3 fewer aircraft (an investment of 300 million dollars), the loss of 150 well-paying aviation jobs and over €250 million in lost tourist revenue for Lisbon this summer.
Ryanair confirms today that the 3 aircraft and the 19 suspended routes will return to Lisbon in October 2022, for Ryanair’s winter schedule, as it has enough slots in winter for these flights.
According to Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair Group: “We regret this unnecessary inconvenience for all passengers on these cancelled flights and the loss of 19 routes due to the blocking of unused slots by TAP in the summer of 2002, in Lisbon. This anti-competitive blockade of slots impedes growth and delays the recovery of traffic, tourism and jobs in Lisbon.
Our latest efforts to ask Prime Minister António Costa for help resulted in a total of 0 responses. Sadly, Ryanair is now forced to reduce its fleet of planes from 7 to 4 in Lisbon in the summer of 2022, as well as a loss of 150 well-paid aviation jobs, over 900,000 fewer passengers, and more than 250 million euros in tourist revenue lost to the city of Lisbon this summer.
The loss of these 19 routes and 5,000 flights this summer will impact Lisbon’s post-Covid recovery, so the city will lag behind other European capitals. Ryanair remains committed to returning these 3 aircraft and 19 routes to Lisbon in October for its winter schedule, while resuming growth in traffic, tourism and jobs in Lisbon.
All passengers affected by these cancellations will receive email notifications by the end of this week, with the possibility of refunds or alternative flights to/from Lisbon for Summer 2022.”
Ryanair to remove 19 routes from ??Lisbon – for Summer 2022:
??Agadir
??Alghero
??Alicante
??Bari
??Billund
??Birmingham
??Bournemouth
??Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden
??Kraków
??Lanzarote
??Madrid
??Malta
??Memmingen
??Oujda
??Palermo
??Perpignan
??Poitiers
??Tenerife South
??Zaragoza pic.twitter.com/Id6h1QAyBy— Sean M ?? (@SeanM1997) March 8, 2022
shame that this portal just copy-pastes the pamphlet message from Ryanair, instead of creating your own text. All effects Ryanair states are clearly inflated and exaggerated to create political pressure on Portuguese government. Are you being paid by ryanair? or just too lazy to write your own piece of news and investigate if those facts are real?
Please don’t just copy the tone of voice from Ryanair. Their best skill is to change the narrative and frame the story. Good journalists should be able to look through this.