Ryanair reduces flight capacity and closes base in Germany
Ryanair is trending because it announced a major reduction in its German operations for the 2026/27 winter season. The airline is closing its Berlin base and cancelling several routes, citing uncompetitive costs and high government taxes.
What happened
- 5 Oct, 2026
Tourism forecasts for the Canary Islands predicted an increase in German visitors [1].
- 8 Oct, 2026
Ryanair announced it would cut roughly 700,000 seats in Germany for the winter season [2].
- 24 Oct, 2026
The airline plans to shut its Berlin Brandenburg Airport base and move seven planes to other EU nations [2].
- April 2027
Ryanair intends to stop all flight services to and from Bremen [2].
What you need to know
Twelve Berlin routes are being cancelled, including flights to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura [1], [2].
Berlin's seat capacity will drop by about 50% during the winter [1], [2].
The airline blames high security fees, air navigation charges, and federal aviation taxes [1].
Hamburg will also experience a 5% decrease in capacity [2].
It is not confirmed if any of the cancelled routes will be reinstated if Germany lowers its aviation taxes.
Background
Ryanair claims that German airports are less competitive than other European markets due to excessive access costs [1]. The airline suggests that removing the air passenger tax and cutting access costs in half could allow it to add 30 more aircraft to Germany [2].
This move impacts tourism in southern Gran Canaria, which relies heavily on German travelers during the winter months [1]. The cuts come as German airports like Frankfurt and Munich trail behind the passenger levels seen in 2019 [2].
Questions people ask
Does the closure of the Berlin base mean all flights to Berlin are stopping?
No, the closure of the base and the cancellation of 12 specific routes reduces capacity, but it does not mean every flight to Berlin will end [2].
Which other German city is losing Ryanair services?
Ryanair plans to completely withdraw from Bremen by April 2027 [2].
Where this came from
Found through Google Trends and drafted with AI from at least two cited sources. Published automatically after passing our automated checks for sources, wording and safety. It may not have been reviewed by a person yet. Report a correction.