Ryanair has announced its intention to close its Berlin base from 24 October 2026, which would see the Irish low-cost carrier withdraw all seven aircraft based in the German capital. According to the airline, the number of flights to and from Berlin in the winter schedule would be reduced by around 50%, while the aircraft would be redeployed to what Ryanair describes as lower-cost airports in other European countries.
The airline links the decision to Berlin Brandenburg Airport’s planned 10% increase in charges between 2027 and 2029. Ryanair claims that Berlin’s airport charges have risen by 50% since the pandemic, while the airport’s traffic has still not returned to 2019 levels. According to figures cited by the carrier, Berlin handled around 36 million passengers in 2019, compared with around 26 million passengers in 2025.
In its press release, Ryanair again strongly criticises German aviation policy, pointing to higher passenger taxes, security charges, ATC costs, and airport fees as reasons why the German market has, in its view, become uncompetitive. However, the tone of the announcement also fits Ryanair’s well-established pattern of applying public pressure on airports and governments, where planned capacity cuts are often used as a tool in negotiations over costs.
Ryanair says the base closure would reduce its Berlin traffic from around 4.5 million to 2.2 million passengers per year in 2027. The airline also stresses that it will not leave Berlin entirely, but will continue serving the airport with aircraft based outside Germany. This means Berlin would remain part of Ryanair’s network, but with significantly fewer rotations, less operational flexibility and a smaller local presence.
According to Ryanair, all pilots and cabin crew based in Berlin have been notified of the planned base closure, with staff consultations expected to begin shortly. The airline says flight crew will be offered alternative positions elsewhere within the Ryanair network across Europe. While this wording softens the social impact of the decision, Berlin would still lose based crews, operational activity and part of the related local employment.
Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson said the airline had “no alternative” following the airport’s latest fee increase notice. He described German aviation policy as broken and recalled that since 2019 Ryanair has closed its bases in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart, while also stopping all flights to Dresden, Leipzig and Dortmund. According to Wilson, further cuts in Germany are now inevitable.
Ryanair presents the decision in the wider context of its growth across other European markets. The airline says its total traffic will increase from 149 million passengers in 2019 to 216 million in 2026, while capacity in Germany is being reduced because of high costs. It names Sweden, Slovakia, Albania and Italy among the markets where aviation taxes have been abolished or operating costs are lower.
Although Ryanair is undoubtedly raising the issue of Germany’s high operating costs and Berlin’s slow traffic recovery, it is equally clear that the airline is once again using its scale as leverage. Its message to Berlin and the German authorities is therefore not only an operational decision to move seven aircraft elsewhere, but also a public warning to other airports: capacity will go where costs are lower and business conditions better suit the Ryanair model.
