Ryanair will cut its winter flight capacity across Germany by around 10%, removing approximately 800,000 seats and 24 routes from its schedule as the airline intensifies pressure on the German government over rising aviation costs.
The low-cost carrier said the decision follows Berlin’s failure to reduce air travel taxes and access fees that have made Germany less competitive than other European markets.
The cuts, announced by Ryanair’s Marketing Director Dara Brady in Berlin, will affect several airports nationwide, including Nuremberg, Berlin, Baden-Baden, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt-Hahn, Niederrhein, Hamburg, and Bremen. The largest reduction will take place at Memmingen Airport, where 229,000 seats and two destinations will be removed. In Nuremberg, around 17,000 seats will be eliminated, though no routes will be completely cancelled.
Airline Reduces German Operations Amid Cost Pressures
Ryanair estimates that it will offer roughly seven million tickets in Germany during the 2025/2026 winter season, compared with 7.2 million passengers carried in the previous winter. Despite the reductions, the airline will maintain service at all existing bases, excluding Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig, which it continues not to serve.
“It simply makes no sense for us to grow in Germany right now,” said Dara Brady. “We would actually like to do more business here, but we hope that Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder will take real action on airport costs.” The carrier has also warned that additional cuts could follow in the summer 2026 schedule if conditions do not improve.
In a statement, Ryanair called the reductions “a direct result of the German government’s ongoing inability to lower excessive access costs,” citing the country’s aviation tax as a key factor. “The exorbitant air transport tax, combined with sharply increased air traffic control, security, and airport fees, has significantly weakened Germany’s competitiveness compared to other EU countries,” the airline said.
Potential for Recovery If Tax Policy Changes
Ryanair, which operates more than 3,600 daily flights across Europe, has repeatedly criticized Germany’s cost structure for air carriers, arguing that the country’s tax and fee levels are deterring growth. The airline maintains that with a reduction in aviation taxes, it could double its passenger traffic in Germany to 34 million travelers annually.
Germany’s current air travel tax has been a source of friction between airlines, airport operators, and the federal government. Carriers such as Ryanair and other European budget airlines have lobbied for policy changes to stimulate air travel recovery and improve competitiveness after the pandemic. So far, the government has resisted calls to reduce or suspend the tax, citing environmental and fiscal reasons.
While Ryanair’s decision will reduce capacity across multiple airports, the airline emphasized that its German presence remains strategically important within its broader European network. Nuremberg and Cologne/Bonn will continue to play roles in its operations, even as frequencies are lowered. The company also confirmed that no German base closures are planned at this stage.
The move reflects Ryanair’s broader strategy of reallocating capacity to more profitable markets, particularly in Southern and Eastern Europe, where airport fees and taxes are lower. As Germany faces growing criticism over high aviation costs, Ryanair’s winter reductions highlight ongoing tensions between airline operators and government policy makers over the future of affordable air travel in Europe’s largest economy.
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