Ryanair will halt its operations at France’s Bergerac, Brive and Strasbourg airports this winter due to high airport taxes.
On July 30, the airline announced a 13% reduction in capacity in France, resulting in the elimination of 750 000 seats, the cancellation of 25 routes and the suspension of flights at the three airports.
The move follows the French government's failure to reverse the increase in its aviation tax. French airlines and airports warned that the new tax would make many routes to France unprofitable, especially at regional airports and during the winter season.
Ryanair CCO, Jason McGuinness, said, “Ryanair has no choice but to reduce capacity for winter 2025 by 13%, due to the French government's failure to act against this harmful air tax. It is unacceptable that a major European country is so far behind the rest of the EU, with traffic still below pre-Covid levels, due to excessive taxes and security fees imposed by the government.”
In March, the French government increased its airline ticket solidarity tax for all flights departing the country.
