Ryanair, the well-known European budget airline, is set to pull out of three French airports due to what it describes as exorbitant airfare taxes. The airline will cease operations at Brive and Bergerac airports in the southwest, as well as Strasbourg in the east. This decision follows Ryanair’s earlier withdrawal from Vatry Airport in northern France. According to Ryanair, these high taxes make French airports less competitive compared to their European counterparts, making many routes financially unfeasible, especially during the winter months.
The airline’s exit from these airports will result in the loss of 25 routes and 750,000 seats this winter. Ryanair’s current routes from Strasbourg include flights to Portugal and Spain, while Bergerac offers connections to the UK and Belgium. Brive Airport serves destinations in Spain, Portugal, and the UK. Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, expressed frustration over the situation, highlighting that excessive government taxes are hindering French air traffic from returning to pre-COVID levels. He emphasized that this reduction in capacity will negatively impact regional connectivity, tourism, and local employment.
Adding to the financial burden, the French government has increased the French Solidarity Tax, doubling it for all commercial flights departing from France. This means that short-haul economy flights within France or Europe now incur a tax of €7.40, while medium-haul flights are taxed at €15 per passenger, and long-haul flights at €40. With these rising costs, Ryanair is shifting its focus to more tax-friendly European markets like Sweden, Hungary, and regional Italy, where governments are actively reducing aviation taxes to stimulate growth.
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Originally reported by Simple Flying Read More
