The European air transport market is facing a significant shift in its capacity. Irish airline Ryanair, the continent's largest carrier by passenger numbers, officially announced on Friday the withdrawal of its fleet based in the German capital. The company intends to completely close its base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on October 24, 2026. This will involve the removal of seven aircraft based there and a halving of the total flight offerings to and from Berlin in the upcoming winter schedule.
The airline cites continuously rising airport charges and the German air traffic tax as the primary reasons for its decision, arguing that these are increasingly isolating the Berlin location in international competition. While other European nations are reducing or completely abolishing their taxes, Ryanair views current German aviation policy as a burden that makes operating profitably at its Berlin base impossible. The withdrawal marks another low point for Berlin's air traffic, which is already recovering only slowly from the effects of the global pandemic.
Economic conditions and cost explosion
Ryanair's decision is the result of a long-standing escalation in the dispute over airport costs. According to the airline, airport charges in Berlin have already risen by 50 percent since the pandemic. The recent announcement by Berlin Brandenburg Airport (FBB) to increase fees by a further 10 percent between 2027 and 2029 was the final straw for Ryanair's withdrawal. Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair DAC, sharply criticized the move, calling the increases unjustified, especially given the massive drop in passenger numbers.
Statistical data confirms the tense situation: In 2019, Berlin still recorded around 36 million passengers. By 2025, this number had fallen to approximately 26 million, representing a decline of almost 30 percent. Ryanair argues that this has made Berlin one of the worst-performing major airports in Europe. Instead of creating incentives for renewed growth, management is responding with price increases to compensate for structural inefficiencies. For an airline whose business model is based on extremely low unit costs, such fixed cost increases represent an insurmountable obstacle.
Systemic deficiencies in German air transport
Beyond the local situation in Berlin, Ryanair is leveling massive criticism at Germany's national air transport policy. The airline believes that German citizens are disadvantaged by a system of high taxes and fees. Specifically, the company points to the development of various cost factors since 2019. Air passenger tax has more than doubled during this period, rising from €7,30 to €15,50 per passenger. At the same time, security fees are expected to double to €20 per passenger by 2028.
The situation is particularly drastic with air traffic control fees, which have risen from €1,00 to €3,30 per passenger – a tripling within just a few years. In total, these government-induced costs are causing Germany to lose significant appeal compared to other EU countries. Countries like Sweden, Italy, and Slovakia have taken the opposite approach, lowering or abolishing taxes to encourage airlines to base aircraft there. Consequently, Ryanair announced its intention to relocate the seven aircraft it withdrew from Berlin to these more cost-effective markets.
Consequences for employees and passengers
The planned base closure will have an immediate impact on employees stationed in Berlin. Pilots and cabin crew have already been informed of the company's intentions. Consultations with employee representatives are scheduled to begin shortly. Ryanair emphasized, however, that no compulsory redundancies in the traditional sense are planned; instead, all affected employees will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other locations within its Europe-wide network. Given Ryanair's strong growth in other markets – from 149 million passengers in 2019 to a targeted 216 million in 2026 – the company believes it can redeploy staff to more productive locations.
For travelers in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, this decision means a massive loss of connectivity. Ryanair's traffic in Berlin is projected to plummet from 4,5 million to just 2,2 million passengers by 2027. While the airline will continue to serve the city, it will only operate flights with aircraft based at other European hubs. This will inevitably lead to fewer off-peak flights and a reduced schedule, which will particularly affect business travelers and commuters.
A trend towards retreating from rural areas
Berlin is not an isolated case in Ryanair's recent history in Germany. The airline pointed out that it has already had to close bases in Frankfurt am Main, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart. This has resulted in the loss of a total of 13 stationed aircraft. Smaller locations such as Dresden, Leipzig, and Dortmund have also been completely removed from flight schedules. The industry's warnings about the deindustrialization of Germany's aviation sector thus appear to be gaining further traction.
Meanwhile, the competition isn't standing still. While the German market stagnates or shrinks, airlines are increasingly investing in markets like Albania and Poland, where infrastructure costs are lower and regulatory hurdles are less stringent. Experts fear that without a fundamental reform of air traffic tax and air navigation service charges, further relocations could be imminent. While the German government partially acknowledges the lack of competitiveness, a concrete strategy for reducing operating costs is not yet apparent.
Economic consequences for the capital region
Ryanair's withdrawal not only weakens connections to BER airport but also impacts the regional economy. Restaurants, hotels, and retail businesses in Berlin and Brandenburg are heavily dependent on international tourists, who often use low-cost airlines. A loss of two million seats per year will inevitably be reflected in overnight stays and tourism revenue.
Furthermore, Berlin Brandenburg Airport is losing significant revenue from fees, which are now being generated at other European locations. This creates a vicious cycle: declining passenger numbers, coupled with constant infrastructure costs, often lead to demands for even higher fees per passenger, which in turn could deter other airlines. The closure of the Ryanair base in October 2026 could therefore be just the beginning of a broader consolidation at the Berlin airport, unless political countermeasures are taken.