Expatica has an interesting article about the City of Pau in SouthWestern France pulling it’s subsidy to Ryanair to maintain flights there because the Irish low-cost airline’s demands were “intolerable” and amounted to blackmail.
Ouch.
Ryanair had asked The City of Pau to hike its subsidies to 1.4 million euros ($2 million) a year to 1.5 million if it wants it to maintain flight.
Pau refuses to pay any more and notes that CityJet and Flybe were starting up routes from Pau without being promised any subsidies.
Pretty much straight after Ryanair slashes services from Girona near Barcelona as the new state government is cutting aid there due to a five-year expansion plan at the airport has falling through, with a reduction of 5 aircraft, 18 routes being axed and 17 reduced.
Proof that sometimes airports and cites can say no to Ryanair, and attempt to live on afterwards – something that Manchester Airport did successfully last year, as well as Marseille.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/02/16/353249/ryanair-to-slash-girona-operations.html
