Agency Report –
Irish airline Ryanair on Wednesday said it will cut 800,000 seats and 24 routes from its winter schedule in Germany, as the low-cost carrier slammed the government for its failure to reduce aviation taxes.
The cuts affect major airports in the cities of Berlin and Hamburg, as well as smaller regional facilities, marketing chief Dara Brady said at a press conference.
In addition, flights remain suspended to the hubs in Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig, which have not been served by Ryanair for several months.
The decision to fly less in Germany is a “direct consequence of the German government’s continued inability to reduce the high access costs in Germany,” the airline said.
The failure by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s administration to cut air traffic tax came in for particular criticism.
“The exorbitant air traffic tax, in combination with the sharp rise in air traffic control, security and airport charges, has significantly weakened Germany’s competitiveness compared to other EU countries,” the budget carrier said.
“Without immediate intervention, Germany will fall further behind other, more competitive European countries by the summer of 2026,” Ryanair added.
In the event of a reduction in the air traffic tax, Ryanair believes that its passenger volume in Germany could double to 34 million passengers per year.
“It just doesn’t make sense for us to grow in Germany at the moment,” said Brady. “We would actually like to do more business here in Germany. We therefore hope that Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder will do something about the airport costs.”
