Ryanair has announced it will shut its Berlin operating base and slash its winter schedule to the German capital by half, pinning the blame on the country's soaring aviation taxes. The Irish budget carrier will relocate seven aircraft to other hubs, reducing annual passenger numbers in Berlin from 4.5 million to a mere 2.2 million. Starting in October, flights to and from Berlin will be operated by planes based elsewhere. Staff at the soon-to-be-departed facility are being offered transfers to other European bases, because nothing says 'we care' like a forced relocation.
Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair DAC, lamented: 'German aviation is broken. The government admits it's uncompetitive, yet there's no strategy to cut aviation taxes or high airport fees - despite Ryanair warning that Germany would lose traffic, connectivity, jobs and trade.' Since 2019, Ryanair has closed bases in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart, and stopped all flights to Dresden, Leipzig, and Dortmund, resulting in the loss of 13 aircraft. The German trade union Verdi, however, had a different take. Dennis Dacke, head of Verdi's federal aviation division, called the move a 'purely profit-oriented corporate strategy' and noted that employees have long been treated like 'disposable commodities' while the company prioritises short-term profit.
The announcement comes as the airline industry grapples with surging costs post-Gulf conflict. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since late February. Penalties for UK flight cancellations due to fuel shortages have been eased, and Ryanair's boss Michael O'Leary has warned of cancelling up to 10% of late summer flights if shipping doesn't normalise soon. Meanwhile, American Airlines said rising fuel costs would cost it an extra $4bn (£3.1bn) this year, wiping out forecast profits.
Environmentalists and rail enthusiasts, ever ready to spot a silver lining, noted the opportunity for train travel. Jon Worth, a European railway policy analyst, told the Guardian: 'The demise of Ryanair at Berlin airport should mean an opportunity for more passengers to take trains to Berlin instead.' Berlin offers direct trains to Amsterdam, Warsaw, Prague, Vienna, Berne, Stockholm, and Paris, with a new daytime Copenhagen service starting this summer. Worth conceded that railway reliability needs work and trains are often more expensive than planes, 'but there is an opportunity for the railway industry here, if they are ready to seize it.' Berlin airport has been approached for comment, presumably to ask if they're available for a quick round of 'blame the other guy.'