Ryanair to cut 24 flight routes at 9 German airports

Ryanair has announced that it will cut 24 flight routes in and out of nine German airports and is calling on the German government to scrap its aviation tax.

Ryanair cuts flights from Berlin, Hamburg and more airports

For the 2025 winter season, Ryanair will cut 24 flight routes in and out of airports in Berlin, Hamburg, Memmingen, Baden-Württemberg, Cologne and Frankfurt-Hahn. Services from Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig will “remain closed”. 

The Irish budget airline has long taken issue with the German aviation tax (Luftverkehrsabgabe), introduced by the traffic light coalition in May 2024. The Luftverkehrsabgabe increased taxes on each passenger ticket within Germany or to another EU country from 12,73 euros to 15,53 euros. 

For trips further afield, more than 6.000 kilometres, taxes increased from 58,06 euros to 70,83 euros per head. These costs are paid by airlines but passed on to passengers by raising ticket prices.

Multiple EU countries have adopted such a tax, with the intention of making environmentally harmful budget flights more expensive. As a result, airlines like Ryanair are cutting flights, but only to countries where the tax has been adopted. Sweden scrapped its aviation tax in June 2025, and Ryanair was quick to increase connections.

Ryanair calls on CDU to cut aviation tax

Ryanair is calling on the German government and Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) to follow suit and “reverse the latest aviation tax increase (then fully abolish the tax) and reduce its spiralling access costs”.

The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition government had announced plans to scrap the aviation tax, but these plans fell by the wayside amid 2026 budget negotiations. If the tax were scrapped, airlines operating in Germany still face higher air traffic control fees and takeoff and landing fees than in other European countries.

Responding to an August 2024 announcement that Ryanair would scrap one-fifth of its flights from Berlin-Brandenburg BER Airport, Berlin State Senator for Economy, Energy and Enterprise, Frankziska Giffey (SPD), said the airline was demanding too much.

“If it were up to Ryanair, all fees would have to be abolished and the night flight ban lifted. That won’t work. [...] You can’t fly to the German capital for free.”