In a bold move, Ryanair issued a stark warning on Wednesday, hinting at the potential closure of its base in Bordeaux if the airport in southwestern France proceeds with fee hikes.
According to a union spokesperson, approximately 120 jobs hang in the balance due to this standoff.
Michael O’Leary, the CEO of the budget Irish carrier, expressed firm opposition to the purported fee doubling by Bordeaux Airport.
“The airport I think wants to double our cost, we’re not willing to pay double the cost at Bordeaux,” he stated to AFP during an airline conference in Brussels. O’Leary highlighted the possibility of shutting down the Bordeaux base by the end of the summer season should negotiations falter.
“We have three aircraft based there, we’ve got a very successful operation, lots of good employees. But if the response of the airport is ‘pay us double the fees’, the answer is no. We’ll move the aircraft somewhere else,” O’Leary emphasized.
Responding to Ryanair’s ultimatum, Bordeaux Airport expressed regret that the airline informed its employees about the potential base closure without prior dialogue. The airport management also refuted Ryanair’s claims regarding the fee structure, denouncing them as “totally erroneous comments.”
Meanwhile, the SNPNC-FO union voiced profound concern over the looming threat, underscoring the jeopardy faced by 120 jobs in the region.
Bordeaux-Merignac Airport, ranking as the eighth busiest in France in 2023 with 6.6 million passengers, has struggled to recover fully from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the figure represents 85.5 percent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, it falls short of the national average of 92.7 percent for French airports.
The airport’s woes were compounded by the termination of flights to Paris, a consequence of the French government’s restriction on domestic flights that can be substituted by train journeys of less than three hours.
(eTN): Ryanair Threatens Closure of Bordeaux Base Over Fee Dispute | re-post license |Â post content
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