CALLS ON GOVT TO SCRAP AVIATION TAX TO GROW TRAFFIC & TOURISM

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 17 Sep) announced that it will remove 3 based aircraft and close 3 routes (Billund, Santander & Tallin) from Vienna for Winter ’25. This is due to Austria’s punitive €12 Aviation Tax and excessive Vienna airport fees – which have rocketed by 30% since Covid – damaging Austria’s competitiveness as a destination, compared to lower cost EU countries like Sweden, Hungary, and regional Italy, all of whom are scrapping aviation taxes, and cutting airport fees to grow traffic and tourism.  

Despite Ryanair’s continued investment in Austria (160% growth since Covid), Austrian air traffic has failed to recover its pre-Covid traffic levels (currently at 98%). This is due to harmfully high and uncompetitive access costs, which are damaging Austria’s tourism, economy, and jobs.

If the Govt abolishes this harmful €12 tax and lowers airport fees (as Sweden, Hungary & Italy have), Ryanair is ready to deliver its ambitious US$1 billion growth proposal for Austria, growing traffic to 12m passengers p.a. (+70%) and base 10 new “Next-Gen” Boeing 8-200 aircraft (16% less fuel and 40% less noise) from Vienna by 2030. Ryanair will also add over 40 new routes, many at regional airports, creating 300 highly paid jobs for pilots, cabin crew, and engineers (1,000+ total), filling the gap left by Lufthansa, Wizz and other high-fare airlines who continue to cut routes to/from Austria in recent months.

Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary said:

“Vienna’s ridiculously high access costs, including Austria’s harmful Aviation Tax of €12 per passenger has forced Ryanair to switch 3 aircraft and cancel 3 routes (Billund, Santander & Tallin) in Vienna for Winter ’25, further damaging Austrian traffic, jobs, and tourism. Austria remains one of the few EU countries (like Germany) that has still failed to recover its pre-Covid traffic. This is despite Ryanair’s rapid growth in Austria since 2019 (+160%), including the addition of 4 new routes to/ from Salzburg and Linz this Winter.

As a result of the Govt’s €12 Aviation Tax and sky-high access costs, Austria has become hopelessly uncompetitive. Wizz’s 5 aircraft base closure shows that Austria can no longer compete with lower cost EU markets like Sweden, Hungary, and regional Italy, which have scrapped their Aviation Tax to stimulate traffic growth.

Ryanair again calls on the Austrian Govt to follow the lead of other EU countries like Sweden, Hungary & Italy by scrapping this damaging €12 Aviation Tax. Should the Govt abolish this harmful tax, Ryanair will deliver growth up to 12m passengers p.a. in Austria over the next 5 years, substantially growing Austria`s tourism, jobs, and economic growth. If the Govt fails to seize this significant opportunity to grow traffic and support economic recovery, then fares for Austrian passengers will inevitably rise, and Ryanair will have no choice but to further reduce operations in Austria (as Lufthansa and Wizz have recently) and relocate aircraft and capacity to lower cost markets like Sweden, Italy, and Hungary.”