Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has announced it will close its operational base in Berlin, citing increased aviation taxes and airport fees in Germany. The company will reduce the number of flights to and from Berlin by approximately 50 percent in its winter schedule.
According to the decision, Ryanair will transfer its 7 aircraft based in Berlin to lower-cost European bases. As a result, the company's annual passenger count in Berlin will drop from 4.5 million to 2.2 million. Flights to Berlin will not be completely halted, but from October onwards, flights to the city will be operated by aircraft based at other locations.
Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer, Eddie Wilson, stated that the aviation sector in Germany has lost its competitiveness. According to him, although the government acknowledges the problem, it does not present a real strategy to reduce high aviation taxes and airport fees. Wilson recalled that Ryanair has closed its bases in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart since 2019, and has also ceased flights to Dresden, Leipzig, and Dortmund.
Germany's Verdi trade union, however, sharply criticized the decision. The organization called Ryanair's move a “completely profit-oriented” decision and stated that the company has long treated employees as easily replaceable resources. Ryanair, for its part, announced that staff working in Berlin would be offered transfers to other bases in Europe.
The decision comes at a time when the European aviation sector is facing rising fuel prices and operating costs. Ryanair management has also warned that some flights might be canceled by the end of summer if supply problems persist.