Ryanair threatens to cancel routes in Portugal this summer if it is not TAP slots
The call for release to make TAP slots is not new, it has been a recurring theme in Michael Ryan`Leary’s press conferences in Portugal. This time the appeal comes with a threat, and a date to make it happen: March 4th. What O’Leary wants is the release of the 18 daily slots in the summer, otherwise he will cut three planes and routes in Lisbon. The plan negotiated and approved by Brussels foresees cuts of 18 daily slots only for after October.
“Unless the Prime Minister intervenes this week to free up slots not used by TAP – for summer 2022 – Ryanair will be forced to reduce 7 planes to 4, at its base at Portela Airport, in Lisbon, at the end of this month. week, and with that losing 1 million passengers, 150 jobs and more than 250 million euros of tourist expenses in Lisbon”, the company advances in a statement sent to the newsrooms.
Cited in the same note, Ryanair’s chairman, Michael O’Leary, said that the company wrote “to the prime minister, António Costa, on February 16, asking him to act before the end of February”, but, until today, did not receive any response.
And he will continue: “TAP will use these lots or Ryanair’s lots will intervene, just for the summer, just for the summer, to save 20 routes, one million visitors, and the 250 million euros spent by these, in Lisbon ”.
Ryanair, however, explains O´Leary, “do not start these ‘slots’ after the summer of 2022, since TAP will be released by the European Commission, by the European Commission, to release 1 ‘slots’ daily from the winter of 2022 ” .
“For this reason, I once again ask the Prime Minister to urgently intervene to save planes, routes, passengers, and jobs in Lisbon, for summer 2022”, stressed the manager.