Ryanair has announced the restriction of its connections from Berlin to a number of destinations, including Chania, putting into practice the warnings issued throughout the previous period.
In particular, the low-cost airline announced that it will cancel 20% of its flight schedule at the German capital’s airport due to high location costs, without, however, making known when this will take effect.
As part of the reductions, Ryanair plans to reduce the number of aircraft based in Berlin from nine to seven, which will result in the loss of 750,000 seats during the 2025 summer tourist season. In addition, the affected routes, apart from Chania, include five other European destinations, Brussels, Kaunas, Krakow, Luxembourg and Riga.
Ryanair plans to transfer the lost seats from Berlin Airport to other EU countries with lower costs, such as Italy, Poland and Spain.
The company cites “the appalling access costs, which the German government and airport management have been unable to reduce” as the reason for the partial withdrawal from Berlin.
“While other European cities have reduced these costs, in Berlin they are out of control,” the carrier stresses. It points out that, air traffic taxes and air traffic control costs are double what they were before the airport was built and security fees are several times higher than at other airports in European capitals.
Ryanair had “sounded the alarm” repeatedly to the Federal Government to reduce taxes and fees on air traffic, warning that otherwise it would proceed to remove 10% (1.5 million seats) of its 2025 summer offer.
The Irish airline is also calling for a reduction in rising air traffic control fees and the postponement of a planned 50% increase in fees, scheduled to take effect in January 2025.
The high location costs have been strongly criticised and the newly appointed CEO of the German Airline Association (BDL), Joachim Lang, in a recent interview, highlighted the fact that it could cost the aviation industry in Germany four million seats in the upcoming, winter, flight schedule.
