Ryanair has announced the closure of its Thessaloniki base and capacity reductions at Athens Airport for the upcoming winter season. The budget airline is cutting 12 routes and 700,000 seats due to what it calls uncompetitive costs at the Fraport-run Greece monopoly. The move is part of Ryanair’s strategy to pressure governments and airports to lower its tax burden.
Additionally, Ryanair has removed its aircraft from Chania and Heraklion, hinting that these routes and bases could potentially reopen post the 2026/27 winter season. The airline expressed disappointment in Greek airports for not passing on a 75% reduction in the Airport Development Fee to passengers, leading to increased charges and decreased competitiveness.
Fraport, the operator of several Greek airports, including Thessaloniki, defended itself against Ryanair’s claims, attributing the airline’s decision to commercial strategy and profitability concerns rather than airport charges or state-imposed fees. Ryanair has threatened to scale back its growth plans in Greece unless airport charges are frozen and the Airport Development Fee reduction is passed on to passengers.
In a separate move, Ryanair is cutting its winter schedule to Berlin in half, citing high aviation taxes in Germany. The airline will relocate seven aircraft to other locations, resulting in a significant reduction in passenger numbers to Berlin from 4.5 million to 2.2 million annually.