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If you’re planning to fly from London to Europe this summer, you should probably be aware that many European countries are planning to increase their aviation taxes. One budget airline isn’t happy about these new levies, and has decided to withdraw a number of its services across the continent.
Ryanair is fed up with Europe’s increasing flight taxes, and has announced which flight routes it will be axing before summer 2025. Want to know where will be affected? Here’s a breakdown of all the Ryanair flights that will be cancelled this summer.
Italy
Ryanair is stopping flights to Rome’s Fiumicino, Italy’s biggest airport, after April 1 when new municipal levies will be introduced to major Italian airports. It will also stop recording any traffic growth at the city’s other airport, Ciampino.
‘This means no growth for Rome despite the celebrations for the jubilee year,’ the airline said in a statement, adding that the new taxes were ‘stifling’ and ‘regressive’. Find out more about that jubilee year here.
Spain
The Irish airline has decreased its activity in Spain by 18 percent, resulting in the loss of 800,000 seats and 12 routes. Ryanair will stop flights to Jerez and Valladolid, remove one aircraft from its Santiago base, and reduce flights at five other regional airports: Vigo (down 61 percent), Santiago (down 28 percent), Zaragoza (down 20 percent), Asturias (down 11 percent) and Santander (down five percent).
Ryanair chief executive Eddie Wilson said in a statement: ‘Excessive airport charges and lack of workable growth incentives continue to undermine Spain's regional airports, limiting their growth and leaving vast swathes of airport's capacity underutilised.’
Denmark
Ryanair has said it will close its Billund base and has already stopped all flights to Aalborg, after Denmark announced new aviation taxes. The new levy, which is 50DKK (£5.57), will apply to all passengers departing from Denmark and will be paid for by airlines.
From next month all flights to Aalborg from London Stansted will be cancelled. However, airlines including KLM, Norwegian Air, and Scandinavian Airlines will still fly from the UK to Aalborg, but passengers will need to board a connecting flight to get there.
Austria
Austria has fallen out of favour with Ryanair because of its €12 (£9.96) air traffic charge. The airline has changed its strategy in Austria to give preference to airports with cheaper fees, such as Linz and Salzburg, over Vienna.
Ryanair said in a statement: ‘This exorbitant tax, coupled with Austria's very high airport and security fees, is damaging Austria's competitiveness as a tourist destination compared to lower cost EU countries such as Sweden, Hungary and regions of Italy, all of which are abolishing aviation tax and reducing access costs to secure traffic and tourism growth.’
France
Ryanair is also threatening to pull flights in France – the French aviation tax is expected to more than double by 2025 for environmental reasons.
According to Travel and Tour World, the Irish airline already closed its Bordeaux base last year, and has ‘backed out of operating flights to Paris’.
More air travel with Time Out
It’s not all bad news for air travel, because Jet2 is launching at London Luton this summer with 17 new holiday destinations. London airports Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton are also all set for massive expansions, including a third runway at Heathrow. But what this will mean for Labour’s climate goals remains to be seen.
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