SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 

Washington, D.C. 20549
 


FORM 6-K
 


Report of Foreign Private Issuer
 


Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 


For the month of February 2009
 
 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
 
 

c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
 
 
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
 
 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
 
 
Yes ..... No ..X..
 
 

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
 
 

 

 

RYANAIR ANNOUNCES FLIGHT & JOB CUTS AT DUBLIN AIRPORT, AS IRISH GOVT €10 TAX DEVASTATES TOURISM


Ryanair, Dublin airport's largest airline, today (Thurs 12th Feb 09) announced details of its first ever Summer season flights and traffic cut backs at Dublin Airport, as the combination of high and rising DAA charges, allied to the Irish Government's crazy decision to impose a €10 tourist tax from 30th March next is set to decimate traffic and tourism through Dublin Airport.


Ryanair confirmed that the combination of the DAA's high costs and third rate facilities has already caused traffic at Dublin to collapse this winter, with DAA's monthly traffic now running some 9% behind the previous year. This is a loss of 150,000 passengers per month or almost 2 million passengers annually. Ryanair believes this traffic decline will accelerate on 30th March next when the Irish Government's idiotic €10 tourist tax is introduced. This will make Dublin and Ireland a higher cost destination and render it uncompetitive against other European cities/countries, where airports are lowering costs and Governments are welcoming tourists, not taxing them.  Ryanair's traffic continues to grow at airports that do not impose such idiotic taxes as demonstrated by Ryanair's 11% traffic growth in January 2009.


Ryanair today announced substantial reductions in its base at Dublin Airport for the summer 2009 schedule including:




Announcing these Dublin cutbacks, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said:


"The combination of the DAA's high costs, and awful facilities has already created a traffic collapse at Dublin Airport this winter (December traffic fell by 9% with 150,000 fewer passengers). The decision by the Irish Government to introduce a flat rate €10 tourist tax from April is nothing less than "tourism suicide". This travel tax when introduced (appropriately on April Fools Day) will exacerbate the traffic decline at Dublin, as price sensitive visitors will avoid Ireland and choose other lower cost destinations.


"Ryanair has repeatedly called for this tax to be made fairer by making it a percentage of the air fare paid, or alternatively why not scrap the tax altogether and generate equivalent savings by closing quangos like Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland which spend over €150m p.a., but deliver few if any visitors.


"This travel tax has already failed in the UK and Dutch markets, where they caused traffic declines and sadly the Irish Government's tourist tax is doomed to a similar failure. This Government must realise you can only promote tourism by welcoming visitors, not taxing them.



"The catastrophic collapse in Irish traffic and tourism over the coming year will add more weight to the growing calls for the break up of the DAA monopoly, the dismissal of the useless Irish Aviation Regulator and further evidence, if it were needed, that the Department of Transport's sole policy continues to be the protection of its high cost, inefficient semi-state monopolies at the expense of Irish consumers and visitors.


"As in Shannon, these cuts can and will be reversed if the Government's suicidal €10 tourism tax is reversed on or before 30th March next".


DUBLIN SUMMER '09 CUTBACKS


 
‘08
‘09
% Fall
Base Aircraft
22
18
(-20%)
Weekly Rotations
Over 700
Under 600
(-18%)
Pax
10.8m
8.7m
(-20%)
Barcelona
21
14
(-33%)
Leeds B’ford
19
13
(-32%)
Manchester
30
23
(-23%)


 



Ends.                              Thursday, 12th February 2009 



For further information

please contact:            Stephen McNamara         Pauline McAlester

                                     Ryanair Ltd                      Murray Consultants

                                     Tel: +353-1-8121212        Tel. +353-1-4980300


 

SIGNATURES
 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
 
 

 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC




Date:  12 February 2009 

 

By:___/s/ James Callaghan____
   
 

James Callaghan
 

Company Secretary & Finance Director