AT A scheduled press conference this Wednesday, Ryanair chief, Michael O'Leary is expected to announce that the airline will axe a number of winter routes from its Shannon schedule after the Airport Authority made the recent decision to increase passenger charges.

This is another blow for the region as earlier this year both Ryanair and Aer Lingus dealt hammer blows by suspending and cutting routes. Ryanair then blammed the €10 travel tax and Aer Lingus said it would suspend transatlantic services for the first three months of 2011. 

The move by the Shannon Airport Authority to increase its standard passenger charge by a further €1.58 was said to be "keeping in line with other peer regional airports". This brings Shannon's charges to €6.30 similar to the prices at Cork, Ireland West Knock, Aberdeen, Southampton, Porto, Gottenburg and Malmo.