Ryanair says to cut 200 jobs in Dublin

LONDON - Irish low-cost airline Ryanair said on Thursday that it would cut 200 jobs based in Dublin, including pilot positions as it forecast a sharp drop in air traffic to and from the capital this year.

By (AFP)

Published: Thu 12 Feb 2009, 8:20 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 3:55 AM

Ryanair said in a statement that it would begin cutting "200 jobs among pilots, cabin crew and engineers" later this year, as its chief executive Michael O'Leary hit out at the Dublin Aiport Authority.

"The combination of the DAA's high costs, and awful facilities has already created a traffic collapse at Dublin Airport this winter," O'Leary said in a statement.

Ryanair had last week said it planned to axe about 100 jobs at Shannon airport in Ireland, after the airline had posted sharp quarterly losses.

Ryanair made a loss of almost 119 million euros (151 million dollars) during its third quarter as fuel costs soared and it reduced fares.

However last week the airline also upgraded its full-year profit forecast to between 50 and 80 million euros from a previous estimate of break-even as fuel costs have fallen sharply since the end of 2008 on reduced demand for energy.

It had said it would benefit from a global economic slowdown but was unlikely to make a renewed bid for Aer Lingus after recently withdrawing its one-billion-dollar (748-million-euro) takeover offer for the rival Irish airline.

The Irish government, which owns 25 percent of Aer Lingus, rejected the bid in January, arguing that it greatly undervalued the carrier.

Ryanair's offer was worth only half the 1.48 billion euros the low-budget carrier had offered for Aer Lingus in an unsuccessful takeover attempt in October 2006.