Ryanair announces Bournemouth winter schedule

Ryanair has confirmed that its Bournemouth base will operate on a nine month seasonal schedule. The airline claims that the UK government’s £11 tourist tax prevents its operations from the airport being economically viable during the winter months of November, December and January.

Ryanair called on the government to axe the tax to allow Britain to return to tourism growth.
 
Ryanair’s Bournemouth flights will temporarily cease at the end of October and resume on 1st February, as part of Ryanair’s spring schedule which is now available for booking on ryanair.com.
 
Ryanair’s decision to move to a seasonal nine month base operation at Bournemouth will be reviewed next summer when, based on market conditions and UK APD costs, it may return to a 12 month base operation at the airport.  Ryanair has a long term and committed relationship to growing traffic at Bournemouth Airport and will review this temporary change subject to any change in APD.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said;
 
“We very much regret temporarily ceasing our operations at Bournemouth airport during November, December and January.  However, the UK government’s £11 tourist tax makes it economically unviable for Ryanair to operate our low fares flights from Bournemouth during this period.
 
“These flights and passengers would not be lost to Bournemouth if the government adopted the policies of the Dutch and Belgian government’s and axed their £11 tourist tax in order to increase tourism.
 
“Ryanair, with the lowest costs and guaranteed lowest fares in Europe, is the only airline capable of retaining year round international tourism and business links for Bournemouth.  However, these require low access costs, particularly through the low yielding winter months and in the absence of a commitment from the UK government to axe its £11 tourist tax Ryanair has no alternative but to temporarily cease these routes and develop its business elsewhere.
 
“Ryanair will return to Bournemouth from the 1st February and flights for our spring schedule are available for booking on ryanair.com now.”