Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, is considering suspending flights to several German cities due to escalating airport taxes and fees that it claims are making operations unprofitable.
The airline has repeatedly criticized Germany’s aviation policies, including a proposed 10% fee hike at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) for 2027-2029, alongside national passenger taxes and rising security charges.
Base Closures and Capacity Cuts
Ryanair announced the closure of its Berlin base effective October 2026, relocating seven Boeing 737 aircraft to lower-cost destinations like Sweden, Italy, and Slovakia.
This follows earlier cuts of 800,000 seats and 24 routes across nine high-cost airports, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Memmingen, for Winter 2025.
CEO Eddie Wilson blamed the moves on Germany’s “punitive” aviation tax (€15.50 per passenger) and doubled airport charges since 2019, which have driven passenger traffic down from 36 million at BER in 2019 to 26 million in 2025.
Broader Impact
Previous closures hit Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Dresden, Leipzig, and Dortmund bases, eliminating 13 aircraft.
Ryanair argues these policies stifle growth compared to competitive EU markets, urging Berlin to reverse fees to retain traffic.
