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Airport operator Fraport Greece on Friday issued a curt rejection of Ryanair’s claims implicit its determination to standard backmost operations successful Greece, escalating a quality that follows the airline’s announcement that it will adjacent its Thessaloniki basal during the upcoming winter season.
In a strongly worded statement, the bulk German-owned airdrome relation described the Irish carrier’s arguments arsenic “entirely unfounded and wholly pretextual,” insisting that the determination reflects Ryanair’s ain commercialized strategy alternatively than airdrome pricing policies. It added that allegations regarding aviation charges and improvement fees acceptable by the Greek state are “not valid,” arguing alternatively that the airline’s decisions are driven by profitability and web planning.
The quality erupted aft Ryanair announced successful Athens that it would withdraw three craft from Thessaloniki and chopped 12 routes crossed Greece, warning of a nonaccomplishment of astir 700,000 seats and a projected 45% simplification successful winter traffic astatine the bluish airport. The hose besides confirmed wider reductions successful its Greek network, including the suspension of seasonal operations astatine the Chania and Heraklion bases connected Crete.
Ryanair’s main commercialized serviceman said the hose had antecedently accounted for astir 90% of Thessaloniki’s planetary winter traffic and accused Fraport Greece of expanding airdrome charges by astir 66% compared with pre-pandemic levels. He argued that capableness was being shifted to markets such arsenic Albania, determination Italy, and Sweden, where little fees and argumentation incentives support winter demand.
Fraport Greece countered that Thessaloniki’s Makedonia Airport remains a cardinal hub served by much than 40 airlines, connecting bluish Greece to implicit 90 destinations successful 33 countries. It highlighted investments exceeding €100 cardinal successful infrastructure upgrades and said rider traffic has risen by astir 40% during its absorption period, describing the airdrome arsenic structurally upgraded and susceptible of handling increasing demand.
The confrontation comes amid a broader signifier crossed Europe successful which Ryanair has repeatedly reduced capableness oregon threatened withdrawals implicit airdrome fees and aviation taxes, including caller disputes successful Germany, Denmark, and Spain. Industry analysts often picture the airline’s attack arsenic a recurring dialog strategy aimed astatine securing little operating costs crossed its network.
Separately connected Friday, Ryanair employees successful the state called for dialog betwixt authorities, unions, and section stakeholders, warning that winter reductions could effect successful staff being forced to take betwixt relocation and unpaid leave, with imaginable impacts connected occupation information successful affected bases.
Source: tovima.com
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