Ryanair reduces winter schedule at Dublin Airport

Ryanair plans to cut 17 routes from Dublin Airport

Ryanair plans to reduce its winter schedule at Dublin Airport, cutting 17 routes for the season.

It cited increasing passenger charges, the airport's capital spending decisions and its failure to deliver a meaningful environmental incentive scheme.

The airline will also be moving its Boeing Gamechanger fleet of 19 aircraft to other EU airports.

In response, Dublin Airport operator, Daa, said it is surprised and disappointed by the decision, but rejected what it called false claims by the airline.

Ryanair said the moving of the Gamechanger fleet was due to other airports offering incentives to carriers that grow passenger numbers using lower CO2 emitting and quieter aircraft.

The airline claimed passenger charges at Dublin Airport would be increasing by 45% but this has been refuted by Daa.

Full list of destinations affected:

• Carcassonne, France

• Nuremburg, Germany

• Billund, Denmark

• Bournemouth, UK

• Castellón, Spain

• Genova, Italy

• Klagenfurt, Austria

• Košice, Slovakia

• Leipzig, Germany

• Asturias, Spain

• Plovdiv, Bulgaria

• Palanga, Lithuania

• Palermo, Italy

• Sibiu, Romania

• Santiago, Spain

• Suceava, Romania

• Szczecin, Poland

Dublin Airport's operator says plans are in place for new and better infrastructure at Terminal 1 and 2

Kenny Jacobs, Daa chief executive, said the claims made by Ryanair were false, with airport charges to rise by 6% next year.

"As Ryanair knows well, the aeronautical charges at Dublin Airport are regulated by the IAA who set the maximum level of charges at Dublin Airport," he said.

"There is nothing approaching a 45% proposed in pricing at Dublin Airport which is patently false for anyone who has studied the regulators' determination last December."

The operator also said incentives were offered to airlines with plans also in place for new and better infrastructure at Terminal 1 and 2.

Eddie Wilson claimed Daa were wasting €250m (£217m) under part of the airfield

Ryanair has been particularly critical of a plan by Dublin Airport to build a tunnel under part of the airfield at a cost of €250m (£217m).

The airline's chief executive, Eddie Wilson, said the decision was made as "there are no incentives at Dublin to grow traffic or reward investment in aircraft with lower CO2 and noise emissions".

"Unlike most other EU airports, the Daa is unfortunately focused on increasing passenger charges by 45% and wasting €250m (£217m) on a tunnel the same size as the Dublin Port tunnel that is not needed," he said.

However, Daa said the new tunnel is needed for safety reasons.

Mr Jacobs said: "We have reviewed all options, including solutions in place at other European airports, and both the aviation regulator and Daa agree the underpass solution is the optimum one from a safety perspective and we never compromise on safety."