Ryanair is poised to cut the number of flights operated from Edinburgh airport in a row over charges.
Chief executive Michael O’Leary is expected to announce which routes the budget carrier plans to drop this summer.
A “significant” number of Ryanair’s 40 routes are due for the axe from its summer schedule operated out of the Scottish airport after months of negotiations, according to local reports this morning.
The airline yesterday said O’Leary would arrive in Edinburgh personally to “announce cuts at Ryanair’s Edinburgh base for summer 2012”.
Ryanair is understood to have been negotiating with the Scottish airport’s owner BAA for a reduction in the charges it pays.
Edinburgh has become the company’s largest hub in Scotland with Ryanair accounting for around a fifth of the airport’s passengers, but its contract is up for renewal in October.
Edinburgh airport is being sold by BAA after it was told by the Competition Commission to let go of one of its Scottish hubs. BAA will keep Aberdeen and Glasgow airports.
Final bids for Edinburgh Airport are due to be lodged by early April.