Irish budget airline Ryanair has announced plans to slash the number of services it operates out of Stansted Airport by 40 per cent this winter in protest at charges imposed by airport operator BAA.

The company is operating 40 aircraft out of the Essex airport this summer but is set to scale that figure back to 24 between October and March 2010, which will result in a 30 per cent decrease in weekly flights and 2.5 million fewer passengers using the airport. Ryanair said that BAA has rejected its request to cut charges this winter at Stansted, which is one of the company's two most expensive bases along with Dublin Airport, while the UK government's decision to increase the air passenger duty was once again condemned by chief executive Michael O'Leary.

O'Leary said: "Ryanair's 40 per cent capacity cutback at London Stansted shows just how much Gordon Brown's £10 tourist tax and the BAA Monopoly's high airport charges are damaging London and UK tourism and the British economy generally." Ryanair also said that aircraft withdrawn from service at Stansted Airport this winter will be switched to other bases in countries where governments have moved to scrap airport charges, including Belgium, Greece and Spain.