Ryanair Warns its Only Growth in Germany is at Regional Airports, with High Costs Hampering Growth Elsewhere

Ryanair has warned that its operations in Germany are only seeing growth at some regional airports and that larger city destinations are suffering due to what it calls high access costs, covering taxes, air traffic control fees, security fees and airport usage fees.

It said German air traffic has slumped to 77% of pre-Covid levels since the turn of the year; adding that Dresden, Leipzig and Hamburg are Germany’s worst performing airports due to rising government taxes and high airport fees.

Ryanair said: “The German government’s continued failure to reduce high access costs is hampering recovery and growth. Since Ryanair cut capacity in Dresden, Leipzig and Hamburg for the summer of 2025, air traffic in Germany has continued to slump and is now the worst-performing air transport market in Europe with only 77% of pre-Covid levels. This mismanagement by the German government is in stark contrast to other EU states such as Sweden, Hungary and Poland, which have reduced their access costs and abolished the aviation tax to encourage post-Covid traffic growth.”

Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, said: “Ryanair’s German traffic update for January shows that the German aviation market is collapsing, especially at airports where Ryanair has cancelled flights for the summer of 2025. In January, German air traffic plummeted to a shameful 77% of pre-Covid levels, driven by the very high cost of access in Germany.

“While Germany continues to experience a dramatic slump in air traffic, other EU countries have abolished taxes and reduced access costs to boost traffic, thereby experiencing traffic growth and tourism.

“It is time for this inept government to abolish its high taxes and fees and allow German airports to compete for traffic growth if Germany is to have a chance of returning to its pre-Covid levels. While Germany is failing, the rest of Europe is growing because taxes are being abolished and access costs are being reduced.”