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Ryanair sharply reduces internal Greek routes; blames airport costs

Ryanair continued to ramp up its pressure for reduced airport fees in Greece, announcing on Wednesday that it was sharply reducing domestic routes in the country and closing a base in Hania, Crete as of June. 1.   

According to a statement issued by the Irish low-cost carrier, it will only continue routes from Athens to Thessaloniki and to the popular island holiday destinations of Santorini and Mykonos.

The development, among others, means that Ryanair is scrapping four routes connecting Hania with European airports.

A Ryanair sales and marketing director for the eastern Mediterranean, Nikolaos Lardis, blamed high costs at Greek regional airports for the cut-back, saying only summer-time traffic made the routes commercially viable.