Ryanair frequently speaks out against rising airport fees and charges, and has made several changes to its flight schedule recently as a result. The budget airline is axing millions of seats across popular destinations like Spain and Portugal. In Greece alone, the carrier is set to lose a whopping 700,000 seats as it makes cuts to its winter schedule. Read on to discover the full list of the affected locations.
Greece
The budget airline's most recent flight cuts are to routes in Greece, resulting in a loss of 700,000 seats. Ryanair announced earlier this month it would be closing its three aircraft Thessaloniki bases and reducing capacity at Athens Airport for this winter. The slashes mean 12 routes will be cut for the winter flight season, including from Thessaloniki to Berlin, Chania, Frankfurt-H, Gothenburg, Heraklion, Niederrhein, Poznan, Stockholm, Venice-T, Zagreb, and Athens to Milan-M, and Chania to Paphos.
The airline blames the Airport Development Fee and an increase in charges. Ryanair chief commercial officer, Jason McGuinness said: 'Ryanair regrets to announce the closure of our Thessaloniki base and reductions in Athens for Winter '26, resulting in the loss of 700,000 seats and 12 routes across Greece, as well as the suspension of operations at Chania and Heraklion during the off-peak months. These preventable traffic reductions are a direct result of the airports' failure to pass through the ADF reduction, particularly in Thessaloniki where the Fraport Greece monopoly has hiked airport charges +66% since 2019. The removal of 3 based aircraft, 500,000 seats (-60% vs. Winter '25) and 10 routes from Thessaloniki for Winter '26 will be devastating for the city and region, as Ryanair provided 90% of international capacity to Thessaloniki last Winter. Unfortunately, there will now be less low-cost air fares for Thessaloniki's citizens and visitors, and year-round tourism will be harmed as a result. These aircraft will be reallocated to Albania, regional Italy and Sweden, where airports have passed on their Govt's aviation tax savings – resulting in more connectivity, tourism and jobs this winter in those regions.'
Germany
The airline is also reducing 50 per cent of its flights to and from Berlin this winter. Ryanair is closing its seven aircraft bases in Berlin on October 24, 2026. This will result in a 50 per cent reduction in flights to and from Berlin in its winter schedule, and the planes will be allocated to lower cost airports in Europe that have scrapped aviation taxes. The airline mentions the possibility of the aircraft being moved to locations including Sweden, Slovakia, Albania and Italy instead.
Ryanair puts the decision down to Berlin Airport's recent notice that it will raise fees by 10 per cent from 2027 to 2029, arguing fees are already high. Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson said: 'We regret to announce this planned closure of our seven aircraft Berlin bases from 24 Oct 2026, but we have no alternative following the airport's latest 10 per cent fee increase to its already high airport fees. This comes on top of the 50 per cent increase in Berlin's airport fees since 2019. Despite Berlin Airport losing 30 per cent 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 per cent which will result in the loss of more than two million Ryanair seats per annum, and seven based aircraft. Ryanair will still serve Berlin but on a/c based outside Germany and our Berlin traffic will fall by 50 per cent from 4.5 million to 2.2 million pax in 2027.'
Last year, the airline announced it was scrapping 24 routes and 800,000 seats, due to what the carrier describes as an 'exorbitant' air travel tax. The move impacts nine German airports, including Berlin, Hamburg and Memmingen, along with Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig. It brings Ryanair's overall capacity in Germany to fall below winter 2024 levels.
Spain
Ryanair saw a 41 per cent drop of its flights to regional areas this winter, including to Zaragoza, Santander, Asturias and Vitoria. Despite the millions of visitors to Spain every year, the airline also made cuts to several destinations across the popular European destination. Back in October, Ryanair revealed it would axe over a million seats to the country this year - reducing its summer 2026 schedule by 10 per cent. It also announced plans to stop flights entirely to and from Asturias Airport in northern Spain.
The decision comes as Aena, the state-owned company that manages the majority of Spanish airports and heliport, continues to increase 'uncompetitive' airport fees at regional airports - many of which are under-used - across the country. Ryanair has said this decision 'harms growth'. The move was part of a wider cull of Spanish routes by the carrier. It saw a drop of 41 per cent of its flights to regional areas this winter, including to Zaragoza, Santander, Asturias and Vitoria. This includes flights to the Canary Islands, which are being slashed by 10 per cent - equal to 400,000 seats. All flights to Tenerife North were axed from the beginning of the winter season too. Meanwhile, flights to Vigo, on Spain's northwest coast were cut from January 1. The airline announced the cuts are a 'direct result' of the Spanish Government's 'failure' to put a stop to Aena's fee increases.
Portugal
Ryanair has cut six different routes to and from the Azores from March 29. The airline announced in December it would stop running flights to and from the Azores, Portugal's mid-Atlantic archipelago, from March 29. Ryanair explained how increased Air Traffic Control charges, a new €2 travel tax and high airport fees, were behind the decision. The move will result in a loss of six different routes to and from the Azores, which, in total, carried 400,000 passengers a year. Ryanair hit out at the 'French airport monopoly ANA' which they claim 'has no plan to grow low-fare connectivity to the Azores' and is responsible for the airport fees. The airline called for the Portuguese government to 'intervene' and make sure the country's airports 'benefit' locals instead.
Belgium
Brussels South Charleroi is another hub to be hit by Ryanair's cutbacks. Ryanair announced last year it would be slashing one million seats and 20 flight routes from its Belgium winter 2026/2027 schedule. Five of its aircrafts will no longer be based in the country, a move which is thought to create a $500 million (£373m) loss in investments. Airports including Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi will be hit by Ryanair's cutbacks. Overall, the airline says the cuts will see a 22 per cent reduction in its services and is in response to the Belgian government's aviation tax that will see airlines charged €10 (£8.75) per departing passenger from 2027. It's also backlash to Charleroi city council's proposal that could see a €3 (£2.60) charge per departing passenger tax this year.
France
Bergerac Airport is one of many in France to be cut from Ryanair's flight schedule recently. Last year, Ryanair revealed plans to halt flights from several French airports this summer, citing tax changes in France as the reason. The low-cost airline spoke out against tax hikes throughout the country, following the removal of several regional airports - including Strasbourg, Bergerac, and Vatry - from its flight schedule. Speaking to French magazine, Challenges, Ryanair's commercial director, Jason McGuinness revealed that a tax increase of 180 per cent has rendered a number of regional airports 'unviable' for the airline. The French government's 2025 Budget includes raised taxes for air travel - adding an extra €4.77 (£4.13) per ticket for domestic and European flights departing from France. Of the proposed plans, which are set to come into effect in summer 2026, Mr McGuinness declared: 'We will be leaving several regional airports in France this summer. When you increase taxes by 180 per cent, it makes these airports unviable for us.' The tax hike also raises costs for other flights, such as long-haul, business and private jet flights.
