Budget airline Ryanair on Thursday threatened to cut 200 jobs in Dublin if the Irish government imposes a new tax on outbound flights from Ireland's airports next month.
The carrier said traffic through Dublin Airport, the nation's busiest, was down 9 percent compared to last year, and said it believed that decline would "accelerate on 30th March next when the Irish government's idiotic euro10 ($12.80) tourist tax is introduced."
Ryanair said it was prepared to cut the number of aircraft based in Dublin from 22 to 18.
"The staff affected by today's announcement will be offered a relocation with the aircraft in question," the airline said.
Ryanair has more than 6,000 employees.
"These cuts can and will be reversed if the government's suicidal euro10 tourism tax is reversed on or before 30th March," said Michael O'Leary, the airline's chief executive.
"This travel tax has already failed in the U.K. and Dutch markets, where they caused traffic declines and sadly the Irish government's tourist tax is doomed to a similar failure. This government must realize you can only promote tourism by welcoming visitors, not taxing them," O'Leary added.
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