Airlines

Ryanair closes base in Berlin due to too high taxes

From October, the low-cost carrier will transfer staff and aircraft to other European bases, including those in Italy

by Mara Monti

27 April 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The European low-cost airline Ryanair will close its base in Berlin at the end of the Iata summer season, transferring the seven aircraft currently based in the German capital to other locations. While continuing to serve Berlin, the airline will use aircraft from other European bases, thus ensuring connectivity with the city, albeit with reduced capacity.

According to Ryanair, airport fares and costs have risen steadily since 2019, while passenger traffic has decreased by around 30% over the same period. The airline therefore criticised the 'unjustified' increase in fares and chose to redeploy its aircraft to more competitive airports.

The decision to close the base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport is, according to the company, directly linked to the airport's plan to increase fees by 10% from 2027. Considering the low-cost business model, an increase in mandatory airport fees would inevitably lead to a increase in ticket prices.

The closure is scheduled for 24 October, which coincides with the end of the Iata summer season. The seven aircraft will be transferred to other Ryanair European bases, at airports with lower operating costs, located in countries such as Sweden, Slovakia, Albania and Italia. However, the company will continue to operate flights to and from Berlin via other bases.

Allarme carburante per gli aerei, timori per i voli estivi

"Unjustified and excessive" airport fare increases

As already pointed out, the decision is strongly influenced by the increase in fares planned for 2027, but is part of a broader trend observed since 2019. Indeed, Ryanair claims that airport fares have already risen by 50% in recent years and will undergo further increases, described as 'unjustified and excessive'.

At the same time, the company points out that the airport's passenger traffic decreased by almost 30%, from 36 million in 2019 to the approximately 26 million recorded last year.

Due to rising airport costs in Germany, Ryanair has progressively reduced its presence in the country in recent years. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has in fact closed bases at Frankfurt Hahn and Frankfurt airports, while its subsidiary Lauda ceased operations at Düsseldorf in 2020.

Despite the recovery of traffic at German airports, overall capacity is still less than pre-pandemic levels, representing one of the few cases in Europe.

The announcement of the closure of the Berlin base also comes against a backdrop of strongly rising fuel costs, which have more than doubled since February. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary recently stated that fuel costs increased by USD 50 million in April alone and that, should the price remain around USD 150 per barrel, the annual increase could reach US$600 million.

The German Verdi trade union criticised the decision, calling it a 'purely profit-oriented corporate strategy', while environmentalists emphasised the desirability of favouring rail transport, which is considered to have less impact on the environment.