Ryanair has announced plans to discontinue 24 routes across Germany.
Nine airports are affected by the cuts: Memmingen, Berlin-Brandenburg, Baden-Baden, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt-Hahn, Niederrhein, Hamburg, Nuremberg, and Bremen.
Also, Ryanair has no plans to reverse its decision to stop flights in and out of Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig.
Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, said the move was a direct reaction to Germany’s failure to cut access costs, calling the country’s aviation sector “fundamentally uncompetitive.”
The airline has repeatedly pressed the federal government and Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder to reverse a 24 percent hike in air travel tax that was introduced in May 2024, as well as to reduce high air traffic control and airport security charges.
The carrier warned that further route removals could follow for the summer 2026 schedule if costs remain unchanged.
Aviation taxes
Ryanair has long complained that Germany’s aviation taxes make its airports among the most expensive in Europe, driving away passengers and airlines alike.
Other EU countries, including Sweden, have recently scrapped similar levies to stimulate tourism and employment.
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The German government has defended the current system, arguing that aviation taxes help offset the environmental impact of flying.
Brady said growing in Germany “no longer makes sense” under current conditions but added that the airline would be willing to expand if the tax was reduced.
“We want to do more business here,” he said in Berlin. “But without meaningful reform, Germany will keep falling behind other European markets.”
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Record profits
However, critics across Europe, including environmental groups and regulatory think tanks, argue that aviation remains one of the most undertaxed and state-subsidised transport sectors.
Airlines aren’t charged VAT or a kerosene tax when they fly between many European destinations today whereas rail companies are charged for both.
For the previous financial year (until March 2024), Ryanair reported a record net profit of approximately €1.9 billion – an increase of around 46 percent over the previous year.
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With reporting by DPA.
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