Ryanair has announced it will stop flying from multiple French regional airports due to a sharp increase in aviation taxes, which the budget airline describes as making operations 'unviable.' The carrier's commercial director, Jason McGuinness, stated that a 180% tax rise, part of the French government's 2025 Budget, has prompted the decision to leave several airports this summer.
McGuinness told French magazine Challenges that the additional cost of €4.77 per ticket for domestic and European flights from France has made regional airports unattractive. The tax increase also affects long-distance business-class tickets, raising costs by up to €120. Ryanair has already cut services at airports including Strasbourg, Bergerac, Vatry, and Brive, and further reductions are expected.
The airline's CEO, Michael O'Leary, had previously warned that such tax hikes would lead to capacity cuts, describing them as 'unjustified.' He suggested Ryanair could double its passenger numbers in France by 2030 if taxes were scrapped, but threatened further reductions if they rose again. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot criticised Ryanair's approach, accusing the airline of using 'aggressive' tactics to avoid its obligations.
These capacity reductions come despite Ryanair cutting its winter capacity in France by 11%, while adding more flights and seats overall compared to last winter. The airline also cited disruptions from French Air Traffic Control, which resulted in the loss of around 7.3 million passengers.
