The aviation industry in Germany is complaining about high costs and is therefore expecting a reduction in flight offerings. Four million seats are at risk in the winter flight schedule, it is said.
From the aviation industry’s point of view, the air traffic tax that was raised in May will lead to flight cancellations at German airports. “The excessive location costs will cost us four million seats in the coming winter flight schedule,” said Joachim Lang, CEO of the German Aviation Association (BDL). Daily newspaper World.
“State burden doubled”
In addition to the tax increase, Lang cited the fees for security checks and air traffic control as a cost factor, which have recently doubled in Germany. In other countries, these are significantly lower. “This means that airlines are starting to calculate whether it still makes business sense to fly to Germany.”
State charges for air traffic have almost doubled in Germany since 2020, which is why European point-to-point airlines in particular are avoiding German airports, said BDL President Jens Bischof. “In contrast, European airports that have reached or already exceeded pre-crisis levels in 2024 are largely characterized by significantly lower state charges compared to German locations,” said Bischof.
BDL calls for “burden moratorium”
This is particularly evident in the offerings of European point-to-point airlines such as Easyjet, Ryanair and Wizz Air in Germany, writes the BDL. “In the first half of 2024, this only reached 71 percent of the pre-coronavirus level. On average across Europe, however, the number of seats available rose to 112 percent of 2019.” Bischof stressed that anyone who wants to revive the ailing German economy should no longer place excessive burdens on aviation in Germany. The BDL is therefore calling for a moratorium on burdens.
Most recently, Irish budget airline Ryanair called on the federal government to withdraw the increased air traffic tax. Otherwise, the airline will reduce its offering from German airports by a further ten percent or 1.5 million seats next summer and relocate to countries with a cheaper cost base.
Europe’s busiest airline also demanded reduced fees for air traffic control and a waiver of the already agreed fee increase for air security checks for passengers at airports. Lang defended Ryanair’s move. “That doesn’t sound like blackmail to me, but rather consistent. We should be grateful to him (Ryanair boss Eddie Wilson) for speaking plainly.”
Aviation tax to promote alternative fuels
Lang has been the new BDL managing director since the beginning of July. He demanded that the federal government use the revenue from the increased air traffic tax to promote alternative aviation fuels, as originally planned in the coalition agreement. The sum of two billion euros is enough “to decarbonize an entire sector,” said Lang. “The federal government would only have to spend two billion, which it will also get from us.” The traffic light government had raised the ticket tax because of the budget crisis. This affects all passenger flights that take off from German airports.
