Spanair and Ryanair give details of their cutbacks in Spain

Spanair and Ryanair give details of their cutbacks in Spain
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By h.b. - Jul 18, 2008 - 8:22 AM

Gonzalo Pascual, Chairman of Spanair - Photo EFE

Both airlines are keeping planes on the tarmac and have announced cut backs at Spanish airports.

The high price of aviation fuel has lead to a cut back in operations in Spain from two low-cost airlines.

Spanair has decided that only Madrid and Barcelona will be future bases for its flights. As the airline outlines planned cutbacks as part of a viability plan in these days of high oil prices, it has become clear that the other bases of Spanair at Palma, Málaga, Tenerife, Bilbao and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, will all lose that category. It means a centralisation of pilots, cabin staff and mechanics in the company.

Staff cuts of 1,100, some 29% of the workforce were announced earlier this week. The airline is also going to leave nine of its planes on the ground during September and October.

The unions in Spanair have asked the company that the redundancies that they want to make take the form of early retirement and for those workers who want to leave. They warn that they will start demonstrations of they detect any other company interest apart than the future viability of the company.

Ryan Air publicity photo.

Ryanair has also given details of its cutbacks because of the increased fuel prices and the suspension of their services in Palma and Valencia as part of a 14% cutback in flights. Flights to another five Spanish destinations are also set to be suspended between November 4 and December 19.

Ryanair Chairman, Michael O’Leary, said that airport charges and the massive increase facing the company in fuel prices made it more profitable for Ryanair to leave planes on the ground during the time.

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