Why has Ryanair started cancelling flights to Dublin?
Q Ryanair appears to have begun a mass cancellation of flights from Luton and Gatwick to Dublin until 16 May. There’s been no public announcement on this to date. Worth investigating?
Pat70
A Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Ryanair has been fulfilling an unusual role: running what is effectively a subsidised public transport operation connecting Ireland with a range of UK airports, as well as a skeleton network into Europe. What’s in it for the airline? Ryanair gets to keep at least some of its planes, pilots and cabin crew flying meaningfully, and I hope earns some goodwill.
Last summer, when the first lockdown was lifting, I flew frequently on Ryanair between the UK and the
island of Ireland paid between £10 and £30 for each flight. The typical plane had about 30 people on board – about one-sixth full. Europe’s biggest budget airline was making a substantial loss with each departure.
For the past year, every airline has been posting schedules and putting flights on sale, which have subsequently been withdrawn. Ryanair has, in my experience, cancelled fewer than most. But there are limits. With severe restrictions on arrivals to Ireland and England’s rule of no international travel until 17 May at the earliest, I imagine bookings and loads are dismal.
The evidence is that the airline cannot fill a single daily departure between Stansted (its biggest base) and Dublin (its home); a flight for tomorrow morning is just £58, compared with £100 or more that I would expect to pay for an imminent departure. And returning from the Irish capital in the coming month, the fare on almost every day is £10.
Offering passengers in the core market between London and Dublin a choice of departure points is an indulgence – and one that looks too expensive while politicians in both cities show no sign of imminently easing restrictions between the two.