Tourexpi
Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, last Friday welcomed
the CDU party conference resolution to reduce excessive state-imposed access
costs in Germany, including the abolition of the air passenger tax. According
to the airline, this step would strengthen Germany’s competitiveness as an
aviation market and provide new momentum for inbound tourism.
The CDU resolution underlines the role of competitive
access costs in stimulating traffic, tourism and employment across Germany,
particularly at regional airports. Ryanair points to the government’s earlier
announcement to reduce the air passenger tax and freeze air navigation charges
as evidence of this dynamic. Following that announcement, the airline added
more than 300,000 seats and 11 new routes in Germany for summer 2026, arguing
that lower charges directly support growth.
Growth potential tied to structural reform
Ryanair maintains that comprehensive reform is now
required to unlock longer-term expansion. If Berlin were to fully abolish the
air passenger tax and reduce air navigation charges, the airline states it
would deliver substantial growth over the next seven years.
According to the carrier, this could include doubling
its German passenger traffic to 34 million per year, expanding bases across the
country and creating thousands of new jobs. The airline frames the issue as one
of structural competitiveness, with access costs seen as a decisive factor for
investment decisions.
Expansion beyond major hubs
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said:
“Ryanair welcomes the recent decision by the CDU party
conference to reduce access costs in Germany, including the long overdue
abolition of the damaging air passenger tax. The CDU resolution recognises the
link between competitive access costs and growth. It also rightly highlights
the overconcentration of traffic at Frankfurt and Munich. Ryanair has the
aircraft — with 300 Boeing MAX 10 joining our fleet over the next seven years —
to double our German traffic to 34 million passengers per year and deliver
much-needed inbound tourism and jobs, not only in Berlin or other major hub
airports, but at airports across Germany.
These include Bremen, Weeze, Cologne, Memmingen,
Saarbrücken and Friedrichshafen, as well as the resumption of our Saxony bases
in Dresden and Leipzig, with tangible growth exactly where it truly matters,
supporting German tourism, jobs, businesses and the wider economy. To enable
this transformative growth across Germany, the government must address the
uncompetitive access costs, starting with the full abolition of the air
passenger tax combined with lower air navigation charges.”
Image
Credit: © Ryanair
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