Loss Of 5,000 Flights & 150 Jobs As Port Govt Fails To Act

Ryanair, Europe’s no. 1 airline, today (Tues 8^th Mar) announced that it has been forced to cut its aircraft based in Lisbon from 7 to 4 for S22, causing the cancellation of 5,000 flights, 900,000 passengers, and 19 Lisbon routes for Summer ’22 due to TAP’s continued blocking of landing slots, which TAP cannot and will not use at Lisbon Portela this summer. These cancellations reduce travel options for citizens/visitors, but also results in the loss of 150 highly paid aviation jobs in Lisbon.

These avoidable cancellations come after multiple attempts by Ryanair to request the Portuguese Govt to intervene to release these unused TAP S22 slots. While Ryanair delivers growth and investment in Portugal, TAP has soaked up €3bn in State aid, cut its fleet by 20%, cut thousands of jobs but released less than 5% of its slots in Lisbon, thereby blocking growth of other airlines. Preventing competitors like Ryanair from using these unused slots negatively impacts the Lisbon economy, with 5,000 cancelled flights (over 950,000 fewer seats), 3 fewer based aircraft (a $300m investment), the loss of 150 highly paid aviation jobs and over €250m in lost tourism revenue for Lisbon this summer.

Ryanair confirmed today that these 3 aircraft and these lost 19 routes will return to Lisbon in Oct ’22 for Ryanair’s Winter schedule, since the airline already has sufficient winter slots in Lisbon for these flights.

Ryanair’s Group CEO, Michael O’Leary said:

“We deeply regret all these unnecessary disruptions to passengers on these cancelled flights and the loss of 19 routes caused solely by TAP’s blocking of unused Lisbon Portela slots in Summer 2022. This anti-competitive slot blocking obstructs growth, and delays the recovery of traffic, tourism, and jobs at Lisbon Portela, to the detriment of the Lisbon economy.

Our last efforts to request help from Prime Minister Costa has fallen on deaf ears with zero reply. Sadly, Ryanair is now forced to reduce its fleet of aircraft from 7 to 4 in Lisbon in Summer 2022, a loss of 150 highly paid aviation job losses, over 900,000 fewer passengers, and over €250m in lost tourism revenues for the city of Lisbon this summer.

The loss of these 19 Lisbon routes and 5,000 flights this Summer, means that Lisbon’s post Covid recovery will now lag behind other major EU capital cities. Ryanair’s remains committed to returning these 3 aircraft and 19 routes to Lisbon in Oct for its winter schedule, when we will resume driving traffic, tourism & jobs recovery in Lisbon.

All passengers affected by these S22 cancellations will receive email notifications later this week offering them full refunds or alternative flights to/from Lisbon for S22.“

19 LOST ROUTES IN LISBON FOR S22

Agadir Alghero Alicante Bari Billund Birmingham

Bournemouth Baden-Baden Lanzarote Madrid Malta Memmingen

Oujda Palermo Perpignan Poitiers Tenerife Wroclaw Zaragoza