Ryanair has announced it is to cancel 21 routes to the Canary Islands and cut the frequency of others, leading to the loss of more tham 1,000 jobs.
However, it is believed that the announced cuts will not affect services to South Tenerife, Las Palmas and Lanzarote.
A spokesman for the low-cost carrier blamed the “failure” of the president of the Canary Islands’ government, Paulino Rivero, to deliver on a promised 10-million-Euro a year subsidy for Ryanair and other low-cost carriers, aimed at encouraging more visitors to the islands.
The scheme which was to run between 2013 and 2015, replacing the current arrangement, was squashed by central government after the PP took office at the last general election.
Ryanair supremo, Michael Cawley, said he: “Deeply regretted the decision, which will affect not only the passenger traffic, but the jobs created in the islands.
It was a 16 per cent decline in visitor numbers in 2007, which led Paulino Rivero to seek an arrangement with Ryanair and other low-cost airlines and which, in turn, led to a significant upturn in passenger numbers to the islands.
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