Ryanair announced last Thursday it will stop flying from three regional airports in France due to what it calls a \u2018harmful tax\u2019 hike on airplane tickets, urging the French government to reverse its policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The low-cost airline plans to withdraw from Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg, cutting routes to Ireland, Portugal, and Scotland, unless the tax is scrapped. It is the fourth airport dropped by the company since the spring, when it also cut service to Vatry.<\/p>\n
This follows similar moves in Belgium<\/a> and Denmark<\/a>, where Ryanair reduced services in response to rising aviation taxes. France is now the latest target in a campaign that pits European governments against one another over what Ryanair sees as excessive levies.<\/p>\n The trigger was the 182% increase in the French Solidarity Tax, which is set to rise from \u20ac2.63 to \u20ac7.44 per passenger on domestic and intra-European flights in March 2025. While the French government claims that the tax supports sustainable transport and climate goals, Ryanair maintains that it penalises low-cost carriers and undermines regional connectivity.<\/p>\n \u201cThis astronomical tax makes France less competitive compared to other EU countries such as Ireland, Spain, and Poland, which do not impose any air taxes,\u201d the airline said in a statement.<\/p>\n The French government’s increase of the solidarity tax on air tickets (#TSBA<\/a>) goes in the wrong direction. <\/p>\n It will reduce connectivity, harm consumer welfare, and divert funds from #decarbonisation<\/a> \ud83d\udcc9 <\/p>\n Unilateral measures like this are not the right solution. pic.twitter.com\/Ap9FiGlAaS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Airlines for Europe (A4E) (@A4Europe) February 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ryanair estimates that the tax will cost the company \u20ac108\u00a0million annually, resulting in the cancellation of 25 routes, the loss of 750,000 passengers and a 13% reduction in winter capacity in France. The company has warned that this decision will have a negative impact on tourism, jobs and economic growth, particularly in underserved regions.<\/p>\n \u201cAt a time when France should be focusing on recovery and growth, Ryanair has no choice but to reduce its capacity for winter\u00a02025 by 13 percent due to the French government\u2019s failure to act against this harmful air tax,\u201d said Jason McGuinness, Ryanair\u2019s chief commercial officer.<\/p>\n While France is now presented as a cautionary example, Ryanair\u2019s actions elsewhere in Europe show a more complex picture. Spain, for instance, is now listed by the airline as a \u2018tax-free\u2019 EU country\u2009\u2013\u2009yet its regional airports tell a different story. In February, Ryanair cut 12 routes and 800,000 seats<\/a> from smaller Spanish airports, citing excessive charges from operator Aena\u2009\u2013\u2009prompting accusations of \u2018blackmail\u2019. Meanwhile, it increased capacity at major hubs such as Madrid, M\u00e1laga, and Alicante, suggesting that cost, not just tax policy, drives its decisions.<\/p>\n\n