Ryanair cancels thousands of flights to Portugal following row over airline slots

12 Mar 2022

Leicestershire Live

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Ryanair cancels thousands of flights to Portugal following row over airline slots

950,000 customers will be impacted by the cancellations

Holiday-makers who have booked a trip to Portugal this summer with Ryanair may be in for an unwelcome email alert as the airline confirms the cancellations of thousands of flights. Routes to and from Lisbon are at risk in the coming months, a move the airline's CEO said will slow down the capital's post-Covid recovery.

The budget airline released a statement earlier this week (March 8), confirming 19 routes have been axed for Summer 2022 due to Portuguese airline TAP's "continued blocking of landing slots". The statement confirmed that the number of aircraft based in Lisbon have been cut from seven to four, resulting in reduced travel options - as well as the loss of 150 highly paid aviation jobs in the city.

TAP is reportedly blocking Ryanair's use of landing slots at Humberto Delgado Airport, despite them not being in use.

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The statement said: "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 the growth of other airlines. Preventing competitors like Ryanair from using these unused slots negatively impacts the Lisbon economy."

The company said the aircraft and routes lost will return to Lisbon for October 2022, in time for the airline's Winter schedule, reports Birmingham Live. The move is said to cost Lisbon €250million in tourism revenue this summer.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: "We deeply regret all these unnecessary disruptions to passengers on these cancelled flights. 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. 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."

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

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