Ryanair Closes Glasgow Base Due to Brexit
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Ryanair announced Tuesday that it would be closing its base in Glasgow, Scotland (GLA) due in part to financial uncertainty caused by Brexit. The Irish low-cost carrier will slash the number of routes out of GLA from 23 down to only three.
“We think Brexit is particularly threatening to Scotland and its economy, and particularly to the aviation industry,” Ryanair‘s Chief Commercial Officer David O’Brien said, according to Sky News.
The airline also estimated that the closure puts about 300 jobs at Glasgow Airport at risk. Partially to blame for the closure is Scotland’s air passenger duty tax, which is a fee on passengers leaving Scottish airports, but some think the fee has a more dramatic impact on Glasgow-based fares.
“Sadly our Glasgow base will close, about half a million of those passengers will transfer through Edinburgh. The weaker Scottish economy is even weaker in Glasgow, and we simply can’t bear the air passenger duty of £13 ($18),” O’Brien said.
Ryanair will continue to operate flights to Dublin (DUB), Wroclaw (WRO) and Krakow (KRK) out of Glasgow, and it will add 11 new routes to its Edinburgh (EDI) schedule, BBC reports.
The announcement came as the airline unveiled its route schedule for winter 2018. Glasgow Airport said it was “bitterly disappointed” by Ryanair’s decision.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.