Due to increased taxes and fees, Ryanair has already announced flight cancellations in Denmark, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Now France faces the same threat.
Europe’s largest low-cost airline, Ryanair, has in recent months begun reducing the number of flights in some parts of Europe and has announced even greater reductions. This is a response to decisions by several European governments to introduce or increase certain taxes and fees.
After Denmark introduced a new airline tax at the end of January, Ryanair announced that it would close its base at Billund Airport at the end of March and cancel all flights to the city of Aalborg. A total of 32 routes will be discontinued, which would have carried 1.7 million passengers during the summer season alone.
Withdrawals have also been announced in Italy, specifically in Rome. Leonardo da Vinci International Airport will close one of its bases there, with the reason being the tax increase.
Reductions were also announced in Germany last October, where this summer the airline will cut its flight offerings by 12 percent. Bases will be closed in Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig, and the number of flights to and from Hamburg will be reduced by 60 percent. A total of 22 flights will be canceled.
Ryanair will also operate fewer flights to Spain this summer, which could affect 800.000 passengers.
Threats of cuts in France as well
Next on the list appears to be France, which plans a similar tax increase. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has threatened to reduce connections with France if the tax is increased. “France is already a high-tax country, and if they raise them further, we will likely reduce our capacity,” he said.
On New Year’s Day, Ryanair published a manifesto with “resolutions” calling on European governments, among other things, to abolish airline taxes and reduce air traffic control (ATC) fees.
The airline believes that air traffic in Europe would be more efficient and that tourism and travel would increase in some regions if certain taxes were abolished. “Too many European economies, like France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK), are stagnating due to regulations, higher taxes, and poor management,” O’Leary said last week.
