Ryanair to cut 50 more jobs in Dublin, blames hikes in taxes

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair said it would cut 50 jobs based at Dublin airport in addition to 200 announced last month, blaming the move on government hikes in taxes.

Ryanair added in a statement that it would cut routes between Dublin and mainland Europe in July and promised further reductions later in the year.

"At a time when governments and airports all over Europe are reducing costs in order to stimulate tourism, the Irish government is raising costs and introducing taxes which can only damage tourism," Ryanair said, adding:

"From July Ryanair will close four routes from Dublin to Basel, Doncaster, Oporto and Teesside, and reduce frequencies on eight more routes from Dublin to Aberdeen, Biarritz, Billund, Bournemouth, Carcassonne, East Midlands, Malaga and Rome (Ciampino).

"These cuts will result in one additional based aircraft (five in total) being switched from high cost Dublin Airport to a low cost Ryanair European base in July."