Ryanair cuts jobs and routes at JLA

IRISH budget airline Ryanair has announced 50 jobs are to go and 10 routes are being cancelled at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

It said said rising Air Passenger Duty (APD) and falling sterling exchange rates have led to a “collapse” in traffic at Liverpool, which is owned by Manchester company Peel Holdings.

Ryanair is to operate six aircraft from the airport instead of seven, a move which it says will result in 200,000 fewer passengers this year.

Routes to Budapest and Paris are among those taken off this summer’s schedule.

Ryanair deputy chief executive Michael Cawley said: “The combination of the high cost government APD and falls in sterling has already created a traffic collapse at Liverpool Airport.

“The decision by the UK government to continue to impose high APD charges and increase them over the next two years is completely unacceptable given the current economic climate. Ryanair has repeatedly called for this tax to be scrapped.

“This government must realise you can only promote tourism by welcoming visitors, not taxing them.”

The airline said it would be announcing more cuts to its winter schedule later in the year.