Ryanair is to close its main base in Norway and cut half of its flights to the Nordic country in retaliation at Oslo’s decision to introduce a tax on air travel. The airline announced its decision to close its base at Oslo Rygge — which in turn is likely to shut down the airport itself — on the day that Norway introduced the tax of NKr80 ($9.60) a passenger for international flights and NKr88 for domestic journeys. Ryanair will start flying to London and Vilnius daily from Oslo’s main Gardermoen airport and move some flights to Torp, an airport 75 minutes south-west of the capital, but 16 routes in all will be cancelled, reducing Ryanair’s flights by a half to Norway. <br/>Norway and Ryanair have been in a stand-off for some time over issues ranging from labour conditions and pay to the introduction of the tax. Erna Solberg, Norway’s centre-right prime minister, said last week: “This government will not be blackmailed by Ryanair.” David O’Brien, Ryanair’s CCO, called the introduction of the tax illogical and unfair because it penalised the Irish airline more than local rivals SAS and Norwegian Air Shuttle, which often had higher fares. Both SAS and Norwegian had also criticised the tax. He deflected criticism from the Norwegian government that Ryanair was merely using the tax as cover to close down its Rygge base. “Call our bluff . . . I want to make it clear: the only reason we are closing it down is the new tax,” he said, adding that Ryanair would reopen the base if the tax was withdrawn. Ryanair claimed Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands had all scrapped similar taxes. <br/>
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Hawaiian Airlines may tap additional destinations in Asia once the introduction of new Airbus planes frees up long-haul airplanes currently tied up serving the US West Coast, the carrier’s CE Mark Dunkerley said. The carrier starting next year will receive the first of 16 Airbus Group SE A321neo narrowbodies, which will be used to serve West Coast destinations. Once the planes, which seat up to 189 passengers, are in service some of the airline’s A330 widebodies can be redeployed to Asian destinations, Dunkerley said Wednesday. The airline has about 10 to 12 candidate destinations to add to its network, though Mr. Dunkerley said it was premature to say where the plane may fly. Asia has been a focus for growth for the carrier since 2010. Further expansion could come when Hawaiian Airlines starts taking delivery of its six A330-800 long-range planes in 2019. The carrier has yet to decide whether they will be used to entirely replace some of the older Airbus widebodies or to fly to more destinations. Dunkerley said the airline could also consider eventually introducing even longer-range planes to serve locations further afield. Such a move wouldn’t come before the turn of the decade, though, he added.<br/>
A burlesque dancer says JetBlue employees at Boston’s Logan International Airport forced her to change clothes before she was allowed to board a connecting flight to Seattle. The 26-year-old dancer uses the stage name Maggie McMuffin. She tells The Boston Globe she was waiting for her flight May 18 when a JetBlue employee requested that she change out of her high-waisted shorts or risk not being admitted onto the plane. McMuffin says her black-and-white short shorts “covered everything” and her body was “90%” covered, given that she was also wearing thigh-high socks and a sweater. JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw says airline employees discussed McMuffin’s clothing and determined it might offend families on the flight. McMuffin complied but called it embarrassing and vowed to never fly JetBlue again.<br/>