Ryanair will cut capacity and frequency on many Stansted routes from this winter as a direct result of June’s Brexit vote.

The announcement sees the low-cost airline follow through on warnings issued in the lead-up to the EU referendum that it would focus on European operations in the event of Brexit rather than add new aircraft to UK routes.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary admitted that the decision made by British voters to leave the EU was "both a surprise and a disappointment".

He said that economic growth and consumer confidence would be damaged in the UK and throughout Europe as a result of the political and economic upset.

Britain's failure to negotiate access to the single market and European airspace could also mean implications for three domestic routes, added Mr O'Leary.

The Ryanair boss wouldn't comment on how Brexit would affect the airline's UK commitments but did reveal that they had "contingency plans in place for all eventualities".