RYANAIR has pulled its flights from Derry and further delayed the return of most other services at Belfast International Airport amid a warning it is facing "the most challenging year" in its 35-year history.
The Irish airline said on Monday that it now expects to post a full-year loss of nearly €1 billion.
The low-cost carrier said coronavirus continues to "wreak havoc across the industry" and is "cautiously guiding an FY21 net loss (pre-exceptional items) of between €850m (£750m) and €950m (£838m)."
Ryanair had already grounded its operation at Aldergrove until the end of March 2021, but it has now done the same at City of Derry Airport, meaning it is not planning to operate again in the north until the Spring.
Flights from Derry to both Liverpool and Edinburgh had been due to resume this week. But amid the continuing impact of Covid-19, the airline has pushed to return date to March 28 2021 for both routes.
The return of flights to most of its European destinations from Belfast International Airport has also been delayed until May and June.
Ryanair has offered no return date for its Aldergrove to Manchester and London Stansted flights.
As it stands, the service to Krakow will be the first to return at Belfast International on March 28 2021. Flights to Milan Bergamo and Warsaw Modlin are due to resume on May 1, with flights to Alicante, Malaga and Gdansk returning in early June.
Ryanair did say that it would be in a position where it could "capitalise on the many growth opportunities" after the pandemic, "especially where competitor airlines have substantially cut capacity or failed".
The company announced third-quarter losses of €307m (£270m) on Monday, adding that in the three months to December, 8.1 million passengers used Ryanair, compared to 35.9 million in the same quarter in 2019.
The loss for the quarter contrasts with an €88m (£78m) profit after tax in the same period a year before.
The company said: "FY21 will continue to be the most challenging year in Ryanair's 35 year history.
"Recently announced Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions across the EU & UK will reduce forecast FY21 traffic to between 26m and 30m (previously "up to 35m"), with more risk towards the lower end of the range.
"While Q4 visibility remains limited due to uncertain and constantly changing Covid-19 travel restrictions, European government lockdowns, the timing of the rollout of vaccines across the EU and a very close-in booking curve, we are cautiously guiding an FY21 net loss (pre-exceptional items) of between €850m (£750m) and €950m (£838m)."
Compared with the same quarter in 2019, revenue fell 82 per cent% from €1.91 billion (£1.69bn) to €0.34bn (£0.3bn), and operating costs also fell 63 per cent from €1.81bn (£1.6bn) to €0.67bn (£0.59bn).
The firm said: "As we look beyond the Covid-19 crisis, and vaccinations roll out, the Ryanair Group expects to have a much lower cost base and a strong balance sheet, which will enable it to fund lower fares and add lower-cost aircraft to capitalise on the many growth opportunities that will be available in all markets across Europe, especially where competitor airlines have substantially cut capacity or failed."
