Ryanair is to end flights between London and Brussels Charleroi from April 29, the no-frills carrier announced today.

The decision comes after the EC ruling that the Irish airline should repay around £3 million of the subsidies it receives for operating the Charleroi route.

Ryanair currently operates up to eight daily flights on the route, carrying more than 360,000 people a year.

Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, said: "These capacity reductions are bad news for customers at Brussels Charleroi, but good news for other lower-cost airports.

"As the Brussels-London route had the lowest fares, this route cannot be sustained if costs are to be increased."