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Vienna in flight chaos: Is Ryanair also threatened with extinction?
Wizz Air is closing its base in Vienna while Ryanair speculates about withdrawing. High costs at the location as a reason.
Vienna in flight chaos: Is Ryanair also threatened with extinction?
The Vienna aviation industry is facing troubled times: After Wizz Air announced on September 10, 2025 that it would give up its base in Vienna, the future fate of Ryanair is now also simmering. The Irish low-cost airline is apparently considering significant restrictions on its services from Vienna, which brings with it worrying prospects for the management of Vienna International Airport.
Wizz Air will cease its activities in two phases: On October 26, 2025, two aircraft will be withdrawn and the routes to Bilbao and London-Gatwick will be canceled. The final exit will take place on March 15, 2026, when the remaining three machines will be withdrawn. The decision has a major impact as Wizz Air currently operates five Airbus A321neo and flies 28 routes to 20 countries. The company justifies this step with the sharply increased costs for airport fees, taxes and ground handling, which are simply no longer compatible with the business model of an ultra-low-cost airline.
Ryanair in a quandary
The rumors about Ryanair are increasing: industry insiders are reporting that the Irish low-cost airline could potentially cancel some connections or even stop offering its services entirely. However, the exact plans remain unclear as Ryanair itself has not yet made an official statement. A press conference scheduled to take place next Wednesday could shed more light on the matter. The managing director of Laudamotion, Andreas Gruber, joined the silence and also referred to the upcoming press conference with CEO Michael O'Leary.
The reasons for Wizz Air's withdrawal are varied, but a particularly critical point is the state aviation tax in Vienna, which is viewed as problematic. While there are no such taxes in neighboring countries such as Hungary or Slovakia, they significantly increase the competitive disadvantages for airlines in Austria.
Competitiveness of the aviation industry
In order to counteract the challenges, Vienna Airport has announced that it will reduce tariffs for airlines by up to five percent from January 2026. The management hopes that this will strengthen the competitiveness of the location, which is urgently needed in view of these developments.
But the challenges go beyond individual airlines. The entire European aviation industry is facing change: from January 2025, all flights within the EU must use a minimum of 2 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This quota will be gradually increased to 70 percent by 2050. However, this is expensive as SAF currently costs 3 to 5 times more than traditional kerosene. The availability of SAF also raises questions, which was raised at the IATA WOCE conference in Rome. The industry is calling for government subsidies to strengthen international competitiveness and facilitate the transition to sustainable fuels.
Exciting but also challenging times await Vienna's aviation industry. Further developments remain to be seen, and it remains to be hoped that Vienna will continue to be an attractive location for airlines - and that we as passengers will not have to forego one or the other travel destination.