Ryanair has cut its German traffic volume by 12% – that’s 1,8 million seats and 22 routes – for the northern summer of 2025. The airline says the cut is due to high air taxes and airport costs.
According to the airline, air traffic for Germany in September shows that the country remains at 86% of pre-COVID levels.
In addition to suspending these routes, the airline has closed its locations in Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig and will reduce traffic to Hamburg by 60%. Ryanair says this is a direct result of “the government’s failure to reduce these high access costs”.
The German government increased flight taxes by 19% in May this year, as reported by Travel News. This tax increase is to be used to cover a €17 billion (R338 billion) shortfall in the country’s 2024 budget.
“Reducing the extremely high cost of access, abolishing the harmful aviation tax, and reducing excessive airport, air traffic control, and security fees – the highest in Europe – are the only ways Germany can regain its pre-COVID traffic levels,” said Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair.
