Ryanair has closed its Berlin base, attributing the decision to soaring airport charges and high operational costs at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. This move eliminates based aircraft and crew operations, slashing capacity by up to 20% and axing multiple routes.
The closure follows repeated warnings from Europe’s largest low-cost carrier about Germany’s uncompetitive fees. Berlin, the priciest airport in Ryanair’s German network, loses 150,000 seats for Summer 2026 alone, with prior cuts removing 750,000 seats and six routes including Brussels, Chania, and Krakow.
High aviation taxes, ATC charges, and security fees—exacerbated by a May 2024 tax hike—drive these reductions. Ryanair shifted capacity to lower-cost hubs in Italy, Poland, and Spain, preserving no redundancies only where pilot agreements succeeded.
In a broader retreat, Ryanair cut 800,000 seats and 24 routes across nine German airports for Winter 2025/26, including Hamburg and Memmingen. Frankfurt Hahn base shuts November 1, with Berlin Tegel and others potentially by summer’s end after pilots rejected 20% pay cuts for job protection.
These actions highlight operational surpluses at Berlin Schönefeld, Frankfurt, and Cologne-Bonn, prompting collective dismissals. Germany risks lost traffic, tourism, and jobs as high costs erode competitiveness versus EU peers.