Ryanair blames UK government as it pulls out of Northern Ireland

Ryanair blames UK government and Belfast airports as it pulls out of Northern Ireland. Ryanair have confirmed that it will be pulling out of Northern Ireland.

The company blamed both a lack of support from the UK government and the two airports in Belfast, for the withdrawal. Ryanair routes from Belfast International Airport will cease on October 30 and the seasonal routes which run from Belfast City airport are set to end at the end of summer.

Ryanair have blamed the UK government’s “refusal to suspend or reduce APD (air passenger duty) and the lack of COVID recovery incentives from both Belfast airports”.

Ryanair have added that their aircraft “will be reallocated to lower cost airports elsewhere in the UK and Europe for the winter schedule which starts in November”.

A spokesperson for Belfast International Airport said: “It is disappointing that Ryanair has now decided to withdraw operations from the entire Northern Ireland market at the end of October, having variously had a presence in all three local airports in recent years,”

“It has been a difficult period for aviation and a time when consumers need some stability and faith in the Northern Ireland air transport network.”

At the moment routes by Ryanair in Northern Ireland are popular and include Alicante, Barcelona/Girona, Gdansk, Krakow, London Stansted, Malaga, Malta, Manchester, Milan/Bergamo and Warsaw, as reported RTE.ie.

The airport spokesman added: “As we have been anticipating such a move, we have been engaging with our existing and other new airlines to provide continuity on the routes to be vacated by Ryanair, and to help sustain employment in the aviation industry at a local level in Northern Ireland,”

“To this end we hope to be able to make announcements regarding fresh route development in the near future.”

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