Ryanair cuts Berlin and Hamburg winter seats, calls BER Europe's least successful airport

Ryanair will cut its winter 2026 schedule in Germany by 700,000 seats in Berlin and Hamburg, 10 percent fewer than winter 2025. The airline blamed air traffic control charges, security fees and high airport fees, along with Germany's air travel tax.

In its Thursday 8 October announcement, the carrier confirmed previously reported plans to scale back its base operations in Germany. It said its aircraft, including Boeing 737-800s flown by subsidiary Malta Air, would appear less often at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Ryanair also called BER the least successful airport in Europe, citing a fall in passenger numbers from 36 million in 2019 to 26 million in 2025, down 30 percent. It did not mention that Berlin had two airports, Tegel and Schönefeld, in 2019, while BER only opened in 2020.

The criticism follows earlier disputes between the airline and Berlin aviation bodies. In early 2025 Ryanair attacked air traffic control in Berlin, which responded that the carrier apparently still did not understand responsibilities and operating procedures at the airport. Ryanair then directed its criticism at the Joint Upper Aviation Authority Berlin-Brandenburg, repeatedly naming its head. It has also mocked political figures in its public statements.