Ryanair has announced it will cancel flights from six countries as it closes its Thessaloniki base and reduces capacity at Athens Airport for the upcoming winter season. The budget carrier stated that 700,000 seats and 12 routes will be eliminated from its schedule.
Reason for Cancellations
Ryanair attributed the decision to what it called "hopelessly uncompetitive costs" charged by Fraport Greece and Athens Airport. The airline accused these operators of failing to pass on a government-mandated reduction in airport development fees to passengers. According to Ryanair, the Greek government reduced the fee by 75 percent from 12 euros to 3 euros per passenger in November 2024, but airports kept the savings.
"This devastating loss in off-peak winter connectivity is the direct result of the hopelessly uncompetitive costs charged at the German-run Fraport Greece monopoly and Athens Airport," Ryanair stated.
Affected Routes
The following routes will be canceled from Thessaloniki: Berlin, Chania, Frankfurt-Hahn, Gothenburg, Heraklion, Niederrhein, Poznan, Stockholm, Venice-Treviso, and Zagreb. Additionally, the Athens to Milan-Bergamo route and the Chania to Paphos route will be suspended.
Ryanair's Response
Ryanair hinted that the base and routes could resume after the 2026/27 winter season if conditions improve. The airline warned that it may scale back its expansion plans for Greece, which included 50 new routes over five years, unless airport charges are frozen and the fee reduction is passed on to passengers.
"Consequently, Greek airports are no longer competitive in the off-peak shoulder and winter months, when the tourism industry's reliance on low-fare connectivity is most acute," Ryanair said. "Ryanair has therefore been left with no choice but to reallocate capacity to more competitive countries like Albania, regional Italy, and Sweden."
Fraport's Response
Fraport, which operates 14 Greek airports, rejected Ryanair's claims. The company stated that the decision is "exclusively related" to Ryanair's commercial strategy and profitability considerations. Fraport added that it has invested over 100 million euros (86 million pounds) in upgrading Thessaloniki airport.
Broader Context
This move is part of Ryanair's broader campaign to pressure governments and airports into reducing taxes and charges. Last month, Ryanair urged Austria to scrap its 12-euro aviation tax, warning of a decline in routes and traffic. The airline has also cut its Berlin operations by half, moving aircraft to other hubs due to high German aviation taxes.
The aviation industry has historically enjoyed tax exemptions, such as no fuel duty or VAT on jet fuel, which critics say amounts to a subsidy. The Aviation Environment Federation noted that aviation's CO2 emissions have increased 125 percent since 1990, while UK overall emissions fell by 43 percent.
