Ryanair laments ‘broken’ German air transport system as it closes Berlin base

Seven aircraft to be withdrawn as carrier bemoans capital airport’s fee hikes

Budget carrier Ryanair is describing the German aviation sector as “broken” as it adds to the country’s air transport malaise by shutting its base in the capital Berlin.

It has taken the decision despite a federal agreement to cut the aviation tax, stating that the reduction has not gone far enough — and that the situation is worsened by the Berlin airport operator to hike its fees.

Ryanair is pulling its seven based Boeing 737s out of Berlin from 24 October this year, ahead of the winter season, and has started staff consultations.

This will halve the number of flights it operates to the German capital.

Ryanair states that it will relocate the jets to lower-cost airports in countries which have abolished aviation taxes — such as Sweden and Italy.

“German aviation is broken,” says Ryanair’s mainline operation chief Eddie Wilson. “The government admits that it is uncompetitive, yet there is no strategy to cut aviation taxes or high airport fees.”

Ryanair says Berlin airport’s operator is planning to raise fees by 10% over the course of 2027-29. The carrier points out that it has closed German bases in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart and ended flights to several other cities.

Its withdrawal from Berlin comes in the wake of remarks from the head of BARIG, the organisation representing airlines operating in Germany.

Michael Hoppe recently stated that air travel in the country was “caught in a downward spiral”, the result of factors including high costs imposed by the government.

Ryanair’s Wilson says that operating competitively and efficiently at Berlin has become “impossible”, and that the airline has other airport options to which it can redeploy capacity.

“With no meaningful cost reform in Berlin or in Germany nationally, we have no alternative but to switch aircraft from Germany to other more competitive markets elsewhere in Europe,” he says.