Shares in easyJet and British Airways owner IAG fell after Ryanair Holdings PLC (LSE:RYA) released its winter schedule and said it wants to increase UK flights by a third.
The Dublin-based airline said it expects 60 million passengers in 2025 and has submitted exciting plans to Downing Street to grow traffic by 33% to 80 million over the next five years.
It said this is the plan as long as the UK government "abolishes its damaging APD taxes" and delivers "effective reform" of air traffic control, including the UK’s "chronically mismanaged" NATS service.
A new winter schedule for London and the wider UK market includes five new routes from London.
Based on current levels, Ryanair said its flight numbers are double BA’s traffic to and from the UK. With its new services, including four new routes from Stansted to Lübeck, Monastir, Murcia and Trapani, the airline said it connects Stansted with "more European destinations than are served from Heathrow, and at a fraction of the high fares being charged by Heathrow airlines".