Ryanair to cancel a third of its Morocco flights

Ryanair is to cancel 34 weekly flights to and from Morocco in a row over airport charges, representing about a third of its schedule to the destination.

Its London Stansted flights to Fez and from London Luton to Marrakech will stop on October 1, along with services from other European airports.

The airline claims the country's airports authority, ONDA, has reneged on its agreement with the airline by imposing a new "monopoly" handling company which was demanding a "massive increase" in charges.

Deputy chief executive Michael Cawley said: "It is regrettable that ONDA has now lost sight of the key to the success of our partnership, offering low fares based on low costs. Ryanair cannot accept cost increases as it seeks to deliver more growth to Morocco."

He claimed Ryanair had become Morocco's second largest airline and its withdrawal would cost Morocco 100,000 tourists and €50m in economic benefit.

"Ryanair will now allocate this capacity elsewhere to the many markets earnestly seeking Ryanair's growth and that are offering long term, sustainable cost bases to underpin Ryanair's guaranteed low fares," he added.

With Permission from Travelmole