Ryanair is preparing to slash numerous European routes as it blamed governments for opting to increase aviation taxes and charges. The low-cost airline blames rising taxes and operational costs for the cutback in services, particularly those in nations such as Spain, Denmark, Italy, and France.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, has voiced his frustration with the mounting aviation taxes. He announced that the airline plans to reduce the number of flights to various popular holiday spots starting from 2025, with some adjustments already happening.
O’Leary slammed the UK’s decision to raise the air passenger duty (APD) for short-haul economy passengers from £13 to £15, calling it “insane” and equating it to “a rate of tax of 33% on Ryanair’s average ticket price.” While no specific French routes have been discontinued at this point, the carrier has flagged potential service reductions if France goes ahead with its tax hike.
The rise is set to increase the levy on short-haul economy class flights from €2.63 to €7.40 for departures within France or Europe. In an earlier press conference, Mr O’Leary stated: “France is already a high-tax country, and if it increases already high taxes further, we will probably reduce our capacity.”
He further criticised France’s approach, arguing: “France is going against the tide. Europe will not become more efficient or more competitive by overtaxing airfares.” Here’s the complete rundown of destinations affected by the recent changes so far:
Spain
Across Europe, Ryanair is scaling back its operations, with significant reductions in several countries. In Spain, the airline is slashing its summer timetable by 12 routes, equivalent to around 800,000 seats.
This includes ceasing operations in Jerez and Valladolid, closing a base in Santiago, and reducing traffic in multiple other locations. Ryanair lamented the “completely avoidable loss” as “devastating for Spain’s regional connectivity, jobs and tourism”.
Denmark
In Denmark, Ryanair is halting routes to and from Aalborg at the end of March. This comes after the airline revealed plans to shut down a two-aircraft base at Billund Airport due to Denmark’s new aviation tax, resulting in a lost investment of $200m (£158m). As a result, Denmark will lose 1.7 million seats and 32 routes for the summer.
Italy
Italy is also affected, with Ryanair removing an aircraft from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in response to government plans to limit flight numbers and increase a passenger surcharge at major airports from April 1.
Germany
Lastly, in Germany, Ryanair will operate 12% fewer flights to and from the country this summer, citing high ATC costs and aviation tax as the reasons for the reduction. The airline also revealed plans to close its bases in Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig, while drastically cutting back its services in Hamburg by 60%. This will lead to the cancellation of a total of 22 routes for the upcoming summer season.