Ryanair to Close Bordeaux Base
15th May 2024
Ryanair has announced it is to close its base at Bordeaux airport, but will flights also end?
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Ryanair to Close Bordeaux Base
15th May 2024
Ryanair has announced it is to close its base at Bordeaux airport, but will flights also end?
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The airline set up a base in Bordeaux 5 years ago, since when it has established a network of flights to 49 destinations in Europe.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Ryanair blamed the closure on the failure of negotiations with the airport over the amount of passenger charges levied on plane tickets. These charges are those airlines have to pay to access infrastructure and ground services.
"We are disappointed that Bordeaux airport has not agreed to the extension of our low-cost base from November 2024," explained the company, which cites an increase in costs and having "no other financial alternative" than to close the Bordeaux base and relocate the three aircraft and jobs to less expensive bases elsewhere in Europe.
The airport did not deny an increase in costs but cites a commercial realities. "We did not want this departure, but there are limits on what we can do, especially on the commercial level, for the company." they said, before adding: "We remain one of the most competitive French airports."
The closure will mean the loss of routes to and from Bordeaux, as well as the loss of 90 jobs for flight crew and engineers.
Ryanair stated that discussions are being held with staff to find them "similar positions at other attractive Ryanair bases across Europe from November 2024."
However, the closure of the base does not necessarily mean that the airline will no longer have flights to and from Bordeaux, merely that it will no longer base aircraft at the airport and offer the first or last flights. Ryanair were evasive on this point in their press release. It is highly likely that some routes will be picked up by aircraft based elsewhere in Europe, notably those in the UK, Ireland and Spain.
Moreover, it is not entirely clear that their decision is the final word on the matter, for the local authority shareholders of the airport seem to be working behind the scenes to encourage Ryanair to maintain the base. According to local newspaper reports, a person close to the case stated that "Ryanair is not leaving Bordeaux," betting on "a conclusion to the matter going in the right direction."