Ryanair closes Cork and Shannon bases after row with Irish government

Two of the oldest bases in the Ryanair network are to close for the winter. The Irish airline has announced the closure of its long-established bases at Cork and Shannon. Ryanair will also shut its base at Toulouse in southwest France, as it reduces its winter operation from 60 to 40% of the planned winter schedule. In addition, Europe’s biggest budget airline will reduce the number of flights operated from bases in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Spain. Eddie Wilson, CE of the airline’s main division, Ryanair DAC, said: “There’s no aviation policy in this country. When have you ever seen Ryanair, Aer Lingus and all the airports in Ireland saying to the government ‘We need a plan to be able to fly so we can get to restoring confidence’? We all know there’s flare-ups at the moment across Europe. You’ve got to give us a fighting chance to be able to return when times get better.” The Fórsa trade union called the closure of the Irish bases "a devastating blow for crew and pilots at these bases, their families and communities, as well as for other airport staff and the economies of both regions”.<br/>