Ryanair Suspends Winter Flights

15 July 2010, 14:39 | Updated: 15 July 2010, 14:44

Ryanair flights in and out of Bournemouth airport are being temporarily suspended throughout this year's winter months, the low-cost airline revealed today.

The cuts are due to the Government's Air Passenger Duty tax of £11 making it economically unviable for Ryanair to operate low fares flights from Bournemouth throughout November, December and January.

Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said, "These flights and passengers would not be lost to Bournemouth if the Government adopted policies of the Dutch and Belgian Government's and axed their £11 tourist tax in order to increase tourism."

A full schedule will re-commence on 1st February with flights to Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Malaga, and Tenerife.

Bournemouth Airport Managing Director, Rob Goldsmith said "We are currently experiencing the longest downturn in the UK aviation industry since the war.

We are obviously disappointed by this decision, but fully appreciate how tough it is for low-cost airlines to operate profitably, especially in the winter months."