Ryanair has announced plans for extensive route reductions across Europe in 2026, citing economic and regulatory challenges as primary causes. In Germany, the airline will suspend operations at several airports, including Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Memmingen, Frankfurt-Hahn, Dresden, Dortmund, and Leipzig. These measures are attributed to high aviation taxes and fees, which Ryanair argues hinder the competitiveness of the German market.
In Spain, Ryanair is ending flights to Asturias, Vigo, and Tenerife North, while closing bases at Santiago de Compostela and Valladolid. The airline also plans to reduce capacity at Girona airport, citing disagreements over airport charges and taxes with Aena, the Spanish airport operator. Further route eliminations are planned in France, where the airline has already cut 25 routes and plans to withdraw from Clermont-Ferrand in March 2026, and in Belgium, where twenty routes will be discontinued due to new aviation taxes.
Transport costs and EU environmental taxes are also impacting Portugal, with all routes to and from the Azores being eliminated owing to increased air traffic control fees and taxes. Additionally, Ryanair is reducing services in Bosnia, Serbia, and Lithuania, targeting markets with lower demand and reallocating capacity to more profitable regions. These strategic cutbacks reflect the airline’s response to rising costs and changing regulatory landscapes across its network.
