Flybe has announced it will scrap flights from London City Airport to Dublin this year.

The service will not run after May 31 after a network review into profitability deemed it not profitable enough, a spokesman

said.

“Flybe has a disciplined approach to the routes it operates, which means we continually review our network to ensure that we offer the right choice of destinations for our customers,” he said. “Despite our competitive pricing structure, overall passenger numbers are below our projections and there are no signs of this situation changing.

“Flybe has regretfully taken the decision to suspend the service and apologises for any inconvenience caused.”

The firm is negotiating substitute flights and refunds with passengers who had planned to travel on the route after its cancellation.

The decision follows the company’s criticism of Chancellor

of the Exchequer George Osborne’s budget for 2015-16.

Flybe described the failure to abolish air passenger duty (APD) as descrimination.

“Today’s budget represents yet another missed opportunity for the chancellor to cut or indeed to abolish APD, which has acted as an unfair and discriminatory tax on the UK’s regions and stifiled economic growth for far too long,” said chief executive officer Saad Hammad.

“Abolishing APD would boost UK gross domestic product by £5billion, more than offsetting the loss of tax revenue from APD.

“Despite continuing efforts by Flybe to engage with the government to emphasise the unfairness and counter-productive economic impact of APD, the needs of our regional passengers are still being ignored.

“The next government needs to listen to the UK regions and start delivering on the reform of this unfair and discriminatory tax as soon as possible.”