LONDON (ShareCast) - Irish budget airline Ryanair (Dublin: RY4.IR - news) said it will freeze growth at its nine UK bases with immediate effect
as it focuses growth on other European destinations.
"Ryanair will grow by 15% this year to over 67m passengers," said the airline's outspoken chief executive Michael O' Leary.
"However, the UK will not share in any of this growth in 2009 as Ryanair (the only major European airline continuing to grow) freezes growth at our nine UK bases."
Ryanair urged the British Government to follow the lead of the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish Governments who it says have recently scrapped similar tourist taxes.
He blamed the £10 tourist tax and the charges airport operator BAA imposes on airlines.
He also called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to speed up the sale of London's Gatwick and Stansted airports, which are currently operated by BAA.
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