Ryanair will be cutting its capacity by 20 per cent from September – just after the airline increased it for August.
The airline said the cuts, which will affect September and October schedules, are because “forward bookings have noticeably weakened over the last 10 days, given continuing uncertainty over recent Covid case rates in some EU countries”.
Ryanair had actually announced an increase in capacity less than two weeks earlier.
Following the successful resumption of services since June, the airline said that its capacity for August would be increased to 60 per cent of its normal schedule, Reuters reported.
The new cuts will mean a reduction in the number of services available in most cases, rather than route closures, according to the airline.
The key destinations affected include Spain, France, Sweden and Ireland.
In the case of Spain, France and Sweden, the airline said that the recent rise in the number of coronavirus cases has led to an increase in travel restrictions. Ireland is also affected because it operates a Green List – visitors from countries not on the list, including the UK and Germany, are required to quarantine for 14 days.
Affected customers will be contacted via email, the airline said.
It comes as easyJet announced the closure of three of its bases in the UK.
The airline said it will close its bases at London Stansted, London Southend and Newcastle airports from 1 September, leaving it with just eight bases in the UK.
As many as 670 redundancies are expected to follow.
