IRISH holidaymakers are set for a major blow as a number of Ryanair destinations have been axed for 2025.
The budget airline has made the decision to cancel flights in some European spots due to “excessive fees” and aviation taxes.
The low-cost airline is now scrapping flights to and from Aalborg.
The news comes after Denmark announced new aviation taxes.
The tax has introduced a 50DKK (€6.70) fee for all passengers departing Denmark, which is paid for by airlines.
The cancellation will see Ryanair‘s base at Billund Airport closing, as they scrap the flights by the end of March 2025.
A spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed to announce the closure of our 2 aircraft Billund base and our operations at Aalborg from the end of March, but we have been left with no other choice following the Danish Govt’s short-sighted decision to introduce a harmful aviation tax from Jan 2025.”
This will result in 1.7million fewer seats to and from the city, 32 route cancellations and the loss of two aircrafts as Ryanair reallocate capacity to other EU countries that don’t have aviation taxes.
Denmark will now face a decline in connectivity, tourism and jobs.
Sweden, Hungary and Italy are eliminating aviation taxes in an effort to boost growth, which will see more tourists fly there.
According to Aviation24, Ryanair pilots and crew in Billund have been offered transfers within the airline’s network.
As Ryanair close down its route, it’s expected that KLM, the other airline to provide flights from Dublin to Aalborg will hike up their prices.
And unfortunately for passengers, this isn’t the only route that has been given the chop.
Last month, Ryanair confirmed they will cut flights at seven regional Spanish airports this summer over “excessive fees”.
The Irish budget airline will quit operating in Jerez, and Vallodolid, and reduce flights in and out of Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza, Santander, and Asturias.
Ryanair said the move was down to fees put in place by State-controlled airport operator Aena.
The flight cuts will see 12 routes affected with capacity being dropped by 18 per cent, with 800,000 passenger seats cancelled.
Ryanair said they’ll move the aircraft and capacity to countries “where governments encourage growth” like Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary and Morocco.
The airline has long had issue with fees charged by Aena, previously taking action over attempts to increase fees amid a five-year charge freeze.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has launched a huge spring city break sale – with cheap seats to top spots in Europe.
The Irish airline is offering cheap flights to over 35 destinations but bargain punters need to act fast as the sale is around for a limited time.
Thousands of flight seats are on offer with fares starting from just €35.99 one way.
The sale includes a range of popular cities, providing an affordable opportunity for those who wish to adventure in the hidden gems of Europe.
However, jet setters must act fast to bag these sales as the seats are quickly selling out and thousands of holidaymakers are busy planning their city breaks with the upcoming bank holiday weekends.
FLIGHTS SCRAPPED BY RYANAIR
Ryanair have scrapped or reduced a number of flights to European hotspots, leaving jetsetters short.
The routes scrapped include:
- Aalborg in Denmark
- Jerez in Spain
- Vallodolid in Spain
They will reduce flights to and from:
- Vigo in Spain
- Santiago de Compostela in Spain
- Zaragoza in Spain
- Santander in Spain
- Asturias in Spain
