Ryanair has confirmed it will shut its Berlin base and reduce its winter schedule to the German capital by half, citing increasing aviation taxes and airport fees as the primary reasons for the move. The budget airline plans to relocate seven aircraft to other European hubs, slashing passenger numbers from 4.5 million to 2.2 million annually.
Impact on UK Passengers
The decision is expected to significantly affect UK travellers, with flights to Birmingham, Manchester, London, and Edinburgh likely to be impacted. Ryanair stated that the affected aircraft will be stationed at "lower-cost airports in other EU states that have abolished aviation taxes like Sweden, Slovakia, Albania and Italy."
Ryanair's Criticism of German Policy
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson condemned the German government's approach, saying: "We regret to announce this planned closure of our seven aircraft Berlin base from 24 Oct 2026, but we have no alternative following the airport’s latest 10% fee increase to its already high airport fees. This comes on top of the 50% increase in Berlin’s airport fees since 2019. Despite Berlin Airport losing 30% of its pre-Covid traffic thanks to its excessive airport charges, and Germany’s stupid aviation tax regime, they have now decided to increase charges by a further 10%, which will result in the loss of more than 2m Ryanair seats p.a. and 7 based aircraft."
Wilson added: "German aviation is broken. The Government admits that it is uncompetitive, yet there is no strategy to cut aviation taxes or high airport fees, despite Ryanair warning that Germany would lose traffic, connectivity, jobs and trade. Since 2019, Ryanair has been forced to close its bases in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart (resulting in the loss of 13 based aircraft) in addition to stopping all flights to Dresden, Leipzig and Dortmund."
Union Criticism and Rail Opportunities
German trade union Verdi has criticised Ryanair’s plans, labelling them a "purely profit-oriented corporate strategy." Meanwhile, European railway policy analyst Jon Worth suggested that Ryanair's departure could boost rail travel, noting: "The demise of Ryanair at Berlin airport should mean an opportunity for more passengers to take trains to Berlin instead." Berlin already has direct train links to several major European cities, with a new daytime service to Copenhagen starting this summer.
Broader Context
Ryanair has a history of pressuring European governments to reduce aviation taxes. Last week, the airline urged Austria to scrap its €12 aviation tax by May 1, warning it could lead to a "decline in airlines, routes and traffic serving Austrian airports." Ryanair highlighted that countries like Albania, Italy, and Slovakia have abolished aviation taxes and introduced growth incentives to lower airport costs.
