Ryanair calls for German Government to abolish air traffic tax, unveils growth plan
Ryanair unveiled (16-Apr-2025) plans to invest USD3 billion in new aircraft, create 1000 jobs and open new routes in Germany, if the German Government "completely abolishes the air traffic tax" and "at least halves air traffic control and security fees". Ryanair stated its plan would double its passenger traffic in Germany to 34 million p/a. CEO Eddie Wilson added: "The new German government has a unique opportunity to address the structural problems in air transport and revitalise air traffic in Germany, which has fallen to just 80% of pre-crisis levels as a result of extremely high access costs. Even though the government is taking initial steps in the right direction by reversing the increase in the air traffic tax and committing to reducing further access costs, these measures do not go nearly far enough". [more - original PR - German]
Background ✨
Ryanair consistently criticised Germany's high access costs, including air traffic taxes and fees, as barriers to air traffic recovery, with traffic levels in Germany lagging at 82% of pre-pandemic levels in Mar-20251. The airline urged Germany to fully abolish its air traffic tax and reduce fees by 50% to address these issues2. Moreover, Ryanair reduced its capacity by 12% for summer 2025, closing bases in Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig3.