Ryanair withdraws planes from Vienna: high taxes hit the airline!

Ryanair withdraws planes from Vienna: high taxes hit the airline!

There are rumblings in the aviation industry in Vienna: the low-cost airline Ryanair has announced that it will withdraw three of its 19 aircraft stationed in the federal capital. The reason for this drastic decision is the exorbitantly high air traffic taxes of 12 euros per passenger as well as the excessive airport fees in Vienna. These measures affect around 100 employees who are facing new challenges. The foreseeable changes leave no questions unanswered: In the upcoming 2025 winter flight schedule, connections to Billund (Denmark), Santander (Spain) and Tallinn (Estonia) will be canceled, while other routes will also be less frequented.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is dissatisfied with the situation and expresses sharp criticism of the high access costs. He is calling for the aviation tax to be abolished and has also made an offer to the Austrian federal government: If the tax is reduced, Ryanair could be prepared to increase growth by ten aircraft and thus also drastically increase passenger numbers. O'Leary predicts that up to 12 million passengers per year could be transported to Austria if the tax hurdles are brought under control.

Competing airlines and market changes

But Ryanair is not the only one drawing conclusions from the current fee situation. Wizz Air has also announced that it will close its entire base in Vienna with five aircraft. The company justifies this step with the constantly increasing fees, taxes and ground handling costs. These companies set up shop in Vienna in 2018 to fill the gap that arose after the bankruptcy of Air Berlin subsidiary Niki. At that time, Ryanair took over the successor company Laudamotion, while Wizz Air also wanted to compete for new passengers in the insurance companies.

These developments make it clear that competition in the area of ​​low-cost flights not only entails price wars, but also serious withdrawals by airlines. According to a study on Airliners.de, the air traffic tax in Austria also leads to negative forecasts for the development of passenger numbers in the coming years. According to Vienna Airport, the situation could lead to a noticeable decline in passenger numbers in 2026.

The role of politics

The aviation tax is not only a financial issue, but also a political challenge. Several interest groups, including Vienna Airport, are pushing for this tax to be abolished. This now accounts for a third of the cost per passenger. AUA boss Annette Mann also sees a need for action and plans to expand her airline's offering by two short-haul aircraft in order not to lose the competitive pressure in Vienna.

With these developments, the domestic aviation industry is facing a groundbreaking period. How the situation develops depends heavily on the political decisions and the reaction of those responsible to these challenges. The coming months could therefore be decisive for how the air transport market in Vienna develops and whether passengers will be able to rely on the low fares of low-cost airlines in the future, or whether the gap between these and the established airlines will widen further.