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Low-cost Irish airline Ryanair is threatening to close its hub at the Bordeaux-M茅rignac airport in south-west France, claiming the airport operators want to double their fees.

Closing the Nouvelle-Aquitaine hub would threaten 120 jobs, said SNPNC-FO, the union for commercial airline staff.

A closure could also threaten flight routes from the Gironde base to Marseille, London, Dublin, and Marrakech.

鈥楧oubling of charges鈥�?

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary told Agence-France-Presse: 鈥淭he airport wants to double our charges, and we don't want to pay for that.鈥�

He said that the airline could close its Bordeaux hub 鈥減erhaps at the end of the summer season".

鈥楥ompletely erroneous鈥�

In its defence, the airport has denied Mr O鈥橪eary鈥檚 claims, saying that his reports of a 鈥渄oubling鈥� in airport fees is 鈥渃ompletely erroneous鈥�.

In a statement, it said: 鈥淸We] regret that Ryanair made its employees aware, without prior consultation with Bordeaux airport, of the possibility of closing its base.

鈥淚t is equally regrettable that Ryanair and its managers allow themselves to make completely erroneous public statements regarding the level of charges at the airport.鈥�

Ryanair first came to Bordeaux in 2009, and opened its own base there in April 2019. It has two aircraft stationed at the base, and operates around 70 weekly flights from the Gironde hub.

Read more: Ryanair to open new bases at Marseille and Bordeaux

Its Bordeaux destinations also include Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Manchester in the UK, as well as a wide range of other European cities, including Valencia, Seville, Tenerife, Malaga, Lisbon, Faro, Bari, Fez, Venice, Valletta, and Krakow.

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