Published on
October 23, 2025
Europe’s travel landscape is set to freeze as Ryanair joins Lufthansa, easyJet, Eurowings, and Jet2 in halting flights due to soaring airport costs, higher taxes, and sluggish passenger demand that have made many European routes unprofitable. This synchronized wave of flight cancellations and capacity cuts across Germany, Spain, Italy, and the Baltics marks one of the biggest collective slowdowns in European aviation since the pandemic, highlighting how escalating operational expenses and uneven recovery are reshaping airline strategies and threatening regional connectivity across the continent.
Europe’s aviation sector is bracing for a turbulent winter as Ryanair, Lufthansa, easyJet, Eurowings, and Jet2 pull back on flights and capacity across major routes. The reason behind this sweeping wave of cancellations and reductions is clear — a combination of soaring airport fees, increasing taxes, and sluggish passenger demand. This unprecedented alignment of financial strain and strategic recalibration could leave millions of travelers facing limited flight options across Europe this winter and beyond.
Ryanair: From Expansion To Retrenchment
Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, has taken the most dramatic steps yet — trimming seat capacity and routes across multiple European nations. The airline blamed “unjustified airport cost hikes” for making many routes unviable.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Ryanair’s cuts for Winter 2025 and Summer 2026:
CountryCapacity ChangeRoutes Cancelled / AffectedKey AirportsGermany-800,000 seats24 routes cancelledBerlin, Hamburg, Memmingen; Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig closedLatvia (Riga)-160,000 seats (-20%)7 international routesAarhus, Berlin, Edinburgh, Gdansk, Gothenburg, Memmingen, Paris BeauvaisLithuaniaZero growthNo new routes plannedRising airport access costs limit recoveryEstonia (Tallinn)-40% (110,000 seats)5 routes cutMilan Bergamo, Paphos, Rome Ciampino, Venice Treviso, ViennaSpain-1.2 million seats for Summer 2026Regional Spain routes cut; all flights to Asturias haltedMultiple regional airportsItaly (Rome)One aircraft removedZero traffic growthRome Ciampino & Fiumicino
These changes mean Germany’s overall Ryanair capacity will fall below Winter 2024 levels, while Riga, Tallinn, and Rome will see their connectivity substantially weakened. The carrier has repeatedly urged European governments to review and reduce airport charges to avoid a broader “connectivity crisis.”
Eurowings: Cutting Back On Its European Network
Eurowings, a Lufthansa subsidiary known for its affordable European flights, is also scaling down. The carrier has announced capacity cuts from several key bases, including Prague, amid similar economic pressures.
Prague Base Reductions: Flights to Athens, Cologne, Nice, Valencia, and Palma de Mallorca are being axed or postponed.Reasoning: The airline cites rising infrastructure costs and a softening market for leisure travel in some regions.Strategic Outcome: Eurowings is reallocating aircraft to stronger-performing hubs within the Lufthansa Group, such as Düsseldorf and Hamburg.
The airline’s decision reflects a broader European trend — network optimization to focus on profitable hubs and routes while trimming weaker markets.
easyJet: Exiting Select Croatian Routes
While easyJet’s cuts are less extensive, they still indicate the growing challenges European carriers face.
Routes Affected: easyJet will discontinue services from Zadar and Dubrovnik to Berlin, Milan Malpensa, and Lyon for the upcoming season.Reason: Reduced profitability due to local fees, fluctuating seasonal demand, and competition from charter carriers.Wider Impact: The move highlights a shrinking footprint in the Adriatic region, affecting leisure travelers and local tourism-dependent economies.
easyJet’s decision underscores a clear industry sentiment — that smaller leisure airports are bearing the brunt of rising operating costs.
Jet2.com: Reducing Capacity Amid Weak Bookings
Jet2.com, the UK-based leisure airline, has also stepped back from its earlier growth plans. The company cut 200,000 seats from its winter schedule, citing “soft bookings” and market uncertainty.
Impact: Reductions mainly affect Mediterranean routes and winter sun destinations such as the Canary Islands and parts of mainland Spain.Broader Implication: This move indicates a cautious stance from holiday carriers that are typically more resilient during peak travel periods.
Jet2’s approach highlights another growing problem — traveller hesitation amid fluctuating economic conditions and costlier airfares.
Lufthansa: Redefining Its Domestic Strategy
Even Europe’s largest airline group isn’t immune to cost pressures. Lufthansa announced plans to cut around 100 domestic flights per week in Germany starting next summer.
Core Reason: “Unsustainable tax burdens,” according to Lufthansa’s CEO.Focus: Domestic and short-haul routes between secondary German cities will see reduced frequencies.Outlook: The group plans to redirect resources toward international long-haul routes, where yields are stronger.
Lufthansa’s actions symbolize the financial strain spreading across Europe’s aviation ecosystem — even among legacy giants with deep resources.
Underlying Causes Of The Airline Retrenchment
The synchronized scale-back across Ryanair, Lufthansa, Eurowings, easyJet, and Jet2 stems from overlapping structural and financial challenges that have deepened since the pandemic recovery phase.
1. Rising Airport Fees And Taxes
Airlines claim that increasing airport access charges — especially in Germany, Spain, and the Baltics — are eroding profitability. These fees, along with environmental and air traffic control surcharges, make operating marginal routes unviable.
2. Sluggish Post-COVID Demand
Despite overall travel recovery, demand remains uneven. Business travel has yet to return fully, and leisure demand fluctuates with cost-of-living pressures across Europe.
3. Infrastructure Bottlenecks
Delays in airport modernization, staffing shortages, and airspace congestion have inflated operational costs for carriers that thrive on quick turnaround and high aircraft utilization.
4. Strategic Network Optimization
Airlines are increasingly focusing on high-yield markets and relocating capacity to regions with lower costs — such as Eastern Europe, Turkey, and North Africa.
5. Environmental Regulations
New carbon taxes and sustainability mandates in the EU are indirectly influencing route viability, especially for low-fare carriers that rely on volume over margin.
Impact On Travelers And Tourism
The knock-on effects of these reductions will be felt most acutely by travelers and regional tourism economies.
Key Consequences:
Reduced Flight Options: Travelers face fewer choices between major and secondary cities, especially in the Baltics and Southern Europe.Higher Airfares: Fewer routes and lower capacity often lead to higher average ticket prices.Tourism Slowdown: Local economies dependent on air connectivity — particularly in regions like Asturias, Riga, and Tallinn — may face setbacks.Airport Revenue Loss: Airports will see lower passenger throughput, affecting retail and service income.
For instance, Tallinn’s 40% capacity reduction could cost the Estonian tourism sector millions in lost revenue this winter alone.
European Governments Under Pressure
Airlines are collectively urging European governments to take immediate steps to alleviate the pressure.
Proposals include:
Cutting or freezing airport fee hikes.Introducing tax reliefs or incentives for airlines serving regional routes.Supporting tourism recovery funds to maintain international air links.
Ryanair’s CEO has been vocal, accusing “high-cost airports and inefficient regulators” of undermining Europe’s aviation competitiveness.
Regional Breakdown Of Airline CutsRegionAirlines AffectedNature Of CutsImpact On TourismGermanyRyanair, Lufthansa, EurowingsOver 900,000 seat cuts, domestic flight reductionMajor cities affected; domestic business travel hitBaltics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)RyanairOver 270,000 seat loss; multiple routes axedSlower recovery; loss of connectivity with EU capitalsSouthern Europe (Spain, Italy)Ryanair, Jet2Over 2.2 million seats cut; Asturias airport closureTourism decline; hotel and car rental sectors impactedEastern EuropeEurowingsBase reductions, fewer point-to-point linksLower inbound tourism from Western EuropeAdriatic (Croatia)easyJetRoute withdrawals from Dubrovnik & ZadarDecline in UK and Central European leisure arrivalsIndustry Analysts Warn Of A “Winter Chill”
Aviation analysts say the current wave of cuts signals a structural slowdown rather than a temporary seasonal adjustment.
According to experts, Europe’s aviation cost base has become “unsustainably high,” squeezing low-cost and legacy carriers alike. The imbalance between fuel prices, airport charges, and ticket affordability could trigger further realignments in 2026.
There are also fears that smaller regional airports may not survive prolonged capacity losses — especially those relying heavily on Ryanair or easyJet traffic.
Looking Ahead: Strategic Shifts In European Aviation
While the immediate outlook is challenging, airlines are using this moment to reshape their long-term strategies.
Emerging Trends:
Fleet Realignment: Carriers may accelerate the retirement of older aircraft and focus on next-generation, fuel-efficient models.Shift To Secondary Hubs: Cheaper airports in Eastern and Southern Europe could see increased investment as carriers chase lower operating costs.Partnerships And Alliances: Expect deeper cooperation between airlines to maintain route coverage without excessive cost burdens.Digitalization And Cost Efficiency: Airlines are leveraging AI-driven scheduling and predictive analytics to optimize flight planning.
If governments and airports fail to address cost issues, Europe’s air connectivity map may look significantly different by 2026.
The synchronized pullback by Ryanair, Lufthansa, easyJet, Eurowings, and Jet2 signals a critical moment for European air travel. What was once a continent defined by seamless low-cost connectivity is now entering a phase of consolidation and cost correction.
Europe travel is set to freeze as Ryanair joins Lufthansa, easyJet, Eurowings, and Jet2 in halting flights amid soaring airport fees, rising taxes, and weakening travel demand across key destinations. The widespread cuts reflect mounting financial pressure on airlines struggling to keep routes profitable through Winter 2025.
While airlines frame this as strategic “right-sizing,” the reality for travelers will be fewer options, higher fares, and potentially reduced tourism flows — a scenario that could reshape Europe’s post-pandemic travel recovery.
