Ryanair has reduced its capacity and cancelled some routes in Germany for the winter season following the government’s decision to maintain its current air passenger tax.
The airline has reduced capacity by over 800 000 seats and suspended 24 routes across nine airports, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Memmingen.
“This decision is a result of the Federal Government’s failure to address Germany’s high access costs and the disappointing roll-back on their commitment to reverse the latest 24% aviation tax increase introduced in May 2024. The aviation tax, coupled with Germany’s soaring ATC charges, excessive Security Fees, and rising airport costs have made Germany uncompetitive compared to other EU countries,” said the airline.
The government had committed to reducing passenger taxes and proposed reversing a 20% increase in air passenger levies.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is also considering flight cuts due to high costs. In an interview with Welt am Sonntag, Spohr said Lufthansa could cancel around 100 domestic flights by the summer.
He said operating costs in Germany had almost doubled since 2019, making some routes no longer viable.
