Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is reviewing all personnel and operating costs and will defer some investment after Ryanair closes its seven-aircraft base on 24 October. The Irish airline will continue serving the German capital but is expected to halve its Berlin offering, removing about 2.5 million seats a year. BER forecasts 25.2 million passengers in 2027, around 1.8 million below its original plan.
The airport expects passenger numbers to decline this year as Ryanair’s reduced winter schedule takes effect from November. Other airlines are expected to absorb part of the lost capacity, but not all of it. BER chief executive Aletta von Massenbach described the reduction as a significant setback and said the airport was beginning a cost-saving programme covering all expenditure.
Ryanair’s winter schedule for 2026/27 removes about 700,000 seats from Berlin and Hamburg combined. The seven aircraft and their crews currently based at BER will be redeployed to lower-cost airports elsewhere in the European Union. Ryanair attributes the reduction to Germany’s high aviation taxes and other state charges, as well as airport fees. BER maintains that its airport charges have remained stable since the terminal opened in 2020 despite inflation and rising operating costs.
The airport will continue projects intended to reduce costs or generate additional revenue, but has not specified which investments will be postponed or how many jobs or operating expenses could be affected.