Berlin (AFP) – Budget airline Ryanair announced on Friday that it would reduce flights to and from Berlin starting in October and relocate aircraft based in the German capital, citing comparatively high costs and taxes.
Ryanair will have 50 percent fewer flights in the budget carrier’s winter flight schedule, which begins on October 24, according to a statement from the Irish airline. Seven aircraft that are currently based in Berlin will be moved to other European airports.
Berlin-based pilots and flight crew were notified of the decision on Friday and will have the chance “to secure alternative positions elsewhere in the Ryanair network across Europe.” Chief executive Eddie Wilson stated that the decision was in response to a looming increase in Berlin airport fees and also addressed Germany’s “stupid aviation tax regime.”
The company mentioned that Ryanair aircraft will be relocated to other European Union countries “that have abolished aviation taxes,” such as Sweden, Slovakia, Albania, and Italy. Wilson pointed out that Ryanair had cut all service to three other German airports since 2019 — Dresden, Leipzig, and Dortmund — and had already moved aircraft previously based in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf, and Stuttgart.
Ryanair and other airlines have lobbied Germany to reduce taxes on the aviation industry. Despite being Germany’s largest city, Berlin lags well behind several other airports in the country for total passenger traffic and has struggled to attract carriers.
The brand-new Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (BER), which opened in 2020 after years of embarrassing delays and cost overruns, became a laughing stock during its 14-year construction and is seen by many as a symbol of the city’s dysfunction.
© 2024 AFP
