Ryanair to cut January flights

Ryanair will cut scheduled flights next month as European governments tighten travel bans to slow the spread of Covid’s Omicron strain.

The airline warned that losses could hit €450 million at the end of its financial year following a slide in flight bookings in the face of renewed Covid travel curbs.

“This sudden downturn has also caused Ryanair this week to cut its planned January schedule capacity by 33 per cent,” the airline said.

Consequently Ryanair will carry between six million and seven million passengers in January, instead of an anticipated 10 million.

The carrier blamed travel restrictions, including bans on UK tourists announced last weekend by France and Germany, along with the suspension of all EU-Morocco flights, for the move.