Ryanair to cut winter capacity at Stansted by 40%

Ryanair announced today that it was cutting capacity at it's London Stansted base this winter by 40%. The airline will be moving 16 aircraft to other bases in it's network as it cuts it's Stansted base to 24 aircraft. The number of weekly flights flown from the airport will be reduced by 30% which reduce passenger numbers by 2.5m between October and March of next year.

The airline blames a number of factors for it's decision :

1. Stansted is one of the airline's two most expensive bases, the other being Dublin.

2. The decision of the UK Government to persist with the APD tax of £10 which is due to increase to £11 in November.

3. The decision by BAA to increase it's airport charges in the face of falling passenger numbers and it's delay in selling Gatwick and Stansted airports.

By naming Dublin airport as it's other most expensive base it can only be a matter of days before a similar fate befalls that airport too.