Ryanair to axe THOUSANDS of flights after passenger duty hike – as boss slams Rachel Reeves’ ‘idiotic’ new taxes

RYANAIR is acceptable to axe thousands of flights aft the rider work hike was announced.

Airline tycoon Michael O'Leary has slammed Rachel Reeves' "idiotic" decision to bump the taxation connected system seats to European hotspots by a whopping 15 per cent.

In the fund connected Wednesday, the Chancellor announced flights crossed the continent volition present incur £15 of work charges - expanding it by £2.

Meanwhile the modular complaint is accrued to £32.

And arsenic a effect of the emergence in Air Passenger Duty (APD), holidaymakers readying connected heading disconnected to much-loved destinations specified arsenic Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy could soon conflict to publication flights.

It comes arsenic Ryanair brag Mr O'Leary has said the hose volition look to chopped UK capableness by arsenic overmuch arsenic 10 per cent adjacent year.

Which is the equivalent of a simplification of astir five cardinal passengers.

He said: "This week's anti-growth aerial taxation summation shows that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has nary hint however to present maturation successful the UK economy.

"This short-sighted taxation drawback volition marque aerial question overmuch much costly for mean UK families going connected holidays overseas and volition marque the UK a little competitory destination compared to Ireland, Sweden, Hungary and Italy wherever these Govt's are abolishing question taxes to stimulate traffic, tourism, and jobs maturation successful their economies.

"Reeves has damaged the UK's maturation prospects and made aerial question overmuch much costly for UK families travelling overseas connected holidays oregon to sojourn friends and family."

Mr O'Leary said it's "vital" the UK makes it cheaper to fly.

But Labour had alternatively "damaged tourism, and damaged aerial question to and from the UK".

He added: "A household of 4 flying to Spain connected a debased outgo vacation adjacent twelvemonth volition wage £60 successful aerial question taxes to a Government whose Minister receives £1000’s successful escaped apparel and performance tickets.

“This anti-growth taxation hike volition harm UK tourism, jobs and economical growth, particularly the UK regions, with determination airports being peculiarly damaged by this taxation connected mean families.”

APD is simply a 30 twelvemonth aged taxation connected flights that is automatically applied erstwhile passengers publication tickets departing from UK airports which was initially designed to offset the biology interaction of air travel.

It is acceptable to emergence from the 2026/27 fiscal year.

Ms Reeves justified the summation successful her Budget saying that “Air rider work has not kept up with ostentation successful caller years truthful we are introducing an adjustment, meaning an summation of nary much than £2 for an system people short-haul flight.”

She is besides hiking the summation of work connected backstage jets by a further 50 per cent.

And for long-haul system passengers, the levy volition beryllium upped by £12 to £106.

She continued: “But I americium taking a antithetic attack erstwhile it comes to backstage jets, expanding the complaint of aerial rider work by a further 50 per cent.

“That is equivalent to £450 per rider for a backstage pitchy to, say, California.”

On the Beach probe recovered 35 per cent of passengers said they are disquieted they won't beryllium capable to spend a vacation if the APD rises.

Also, 1 successful 10 said they volition not beryllium capable to spell connected vacation overseas adjacent twelvemonth arsenic the summation volition terms them out.