CHEAP flights to a popular European destination could soon be scrapped, following a dispute over airport fees.
Ryanair has hit back against Bordeaux Airport, claiming that fees are double the current cost.
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Michael O’Leary, the head of the budget airline, told AFP: “The airport I think wants to double our cost, we’re not willing to pay double the cost at Bordeaux.
“I think there’s a real risk we might close the base in Bordeaux maybe at the end of the summer season.”
He added that while they have a “very successful operation” at the airport, he wouldn’t be willing to up the fees.
He ended by saying: “If the response of the airport is ‘pay us double the fees’, the answer is no – we’ll move the aircraft somewhere else.”
However, the airport also said in a statement that it “regrets that Ryanair informed employees of the possibility of closing it’s base” without talking to Bordeaux Airport.
If the closure of the base does go ahead, it puts 120 jobs at risk.
Ryanair first launched flights from the French airport back in 2009, before operating it’s own base from 2019.
With around 70 weekly flights to 30 destinations, this includes UK routes including from London Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Other airlines in the UK currently have a number of routes between the UK and Bordeaux, taking around 1hr40.
This includes easyJet, with Manchester-Bordeaux flights from £15.99, and British Airways with London Gatwick-Bordeaux flights from £38.
Or if you fancy avoiding flights, you can get there by train.
Brits can travel via Eurostar to Paris, before changing to a high-speed train to Bordeaux, taking just under six hours.
But there could be a new direct UK-Bordeaux train route in the works.
Operated by HS1 using the Channel Tunnel railway line, it could launch as soon as 2026.
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The new route would skip Paris, reducing the travel time to around five hours.
In the mean time, Bordeaux even has it’s own “wine theme park” with river cruises and free booze.
Cite du Vin, which translates as City of Wine, opened in 2016 after the £70million project.
Tickets start from £19, and thousands of tourists have rated it five-stars on TripAdvisor.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Everything you need to know about visiting France
- Brits need to have a passport with at least three months left on it.
- No visas are needed for anyone staying up to 90 days within an 180-day period but you need to make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- You may also need to show proof of accommodation and funds, around €120 a day.
- The country uses the euro with with around €10 working out to £8.55.
- France is one hour ahead of the UK
- Direct flights to France from the UK take between 1-4 hours depending on the destination
- Or you can travel by train with Eurostar, with destinations including Paris or Lille.
Known as the wine capital of the world, is it also home to some of the world’s oldest vineyards.
Here’s what Sun Travel has to say about the French city after a visit there.
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