Ryanair : same old tune to justify a cut of over 800,000 seats in Germany

Europe largest low cost carrier Ryanair announced that it has reduced its German Winter ’25 capacity by over 800,000 seats and cancelled 24 routes across 9 high-cost German airports (including Berlin, Hamburg, and Memmingen), while Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig will remain closed. As a result, Ryanair’s overall capacity in Germany will fall below Winter ‘24 levels.

This decision is a direct result of the Federal Government repeated failure to address Germany’s high access costs. Ryanair denounces the disappointing roll-back on their commitment to reverse the latest +24% aviation tax increase introduced in May ’24. This punitive aviation tax, coupled with Germany’s soaring ATC charges, excessive Security Fees, and rising airport costs have made Germany grossly uncompetitive compared to other EU countries.

Germany’s sky-high access costs are in stark contrast with countries such as Ireland, Spain and Poland which have no aviation taxes, or Sweden, Hungary, and regional Italy, where aviation taxes are being scrapped alongside reduced access costs to boost traffic, tourism, jobs, and economic recovery.

As a result, Germany remains among the worst recovered air traffic markets in Europe, operating at just 86.3% of pre-Covid levels in September, according to the German Airports Association (ADV).

Then comes Ryanair’s usual old tune. The airline calls on the German government and Transport minister Patrick Schnieder to take urgent action and reduce Germany’s excessive access costs. Without an immediate intervention, Germany will continue to fall further behind more competitive European countries into Summer ’26.

Follows the Ryanair blackmail message : should Germany reverse the latest aviation tax increase (then fully abolish the tax) and reduce its spiraling access costs, Ryanair could deliver transformative growth in Germany incl. 30 additional aircraft (+US$3bn investment), doubling traffic to 34m passengers p.a., and creating over 1,000 additional jobs across Germany.

For Dara Brady, Ryanair’s CMO, “It is very disappointing that the newly elected German Government has already failed to deliver on their commitment to reduce the regressive aviation tax and sky-high access costs which are crippling Germany’s aviation sector. As a result, Ryanair has been left with no choice but to reduce our Winter ’25 capacity by over 800,000 seats and cancel 24 routes. This in addition to maintaining our closures of Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig. This completely avoidable loss of connectivity will bring our capacity below Winter ’24 levels. And it will have a devastating impact on German connectivity, jobs, and tourism.

Germany’s air travel market is broken and needs an urgent fix. Due to its excessive access costs, Germany has only recovered 88% of its pre-Covid traffic, which is by far the worst recovery of any major European market. Until the excessive (and rising) aviation tax, ATC charges, Security Fees and airport costs are addressed by the Government, German air traffic will simply continue to decline whilst other more competitive European countries (with no aviation taxes) benefit from turbocharged Ryanair traffic growth – at Germany’s expense,” he added.

The same trick does not seem to deter European governments. Ryanair already threatened Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France and Latvia to sharply reduce its presence. Obviously with little success…

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