Ryanair Holdings PLC (LSE:RYA) is reducing its German flight offerings by 12% next summer in protest of what the budget airline considers excessively high aviation taxes, security and air traffic control fees imposed by the German government.
Up to 1.8 million seats will be cut across 22 routes, with the airline ceasing all flights to Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig.
Ryanair will reduce its capacity in Hamburg by 60%.
“Germany has only recovered 82% of its pre-Covid traffic levels, making it by far the worst performing aviation market in Europe,” `Ryanair’s chief executive Eddie Wilson stated.
“Due to these high government taxes and fees (the highest in Europe) as well as Lufthansa's high-fare monopoly, German citizens and visitors now pay the highest airfares in Europe.
“Ryanair presented a seven-year growth plan for Germany to double traffic from 16 million to 34 million, but there has been no feedback from the federal or state governments.
“Refusing to encourage growth at German airports is short-sighted, as Ryanair is poised to grow significantly in Germany, yet rising air traffic tax, security and air traffic control fees are driving this capacity to other EU states.”
Wilson stated that lower costs are the key to Germany recovering to pre-Covid air traffic levels.