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

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Tue, 28 Oct) announced it will cut 2 more aircraft from its Vienna base for S26 (loss of $200m investment) due to the Govt’s continued failure to scrap its harmful aviation tax and lower Vienna Airport’s excessive fees. Despite Ryanair presenting an ambitious €1bn growth plan to the Chancellor in September, which would grow Austria’s traffic to 12m passengers p.a. (+70%) and see Ryanair base another 10 new “Next-Gen” Boeing 8-200 aircraft by 2030, the Govt has failed to respond, and as a result, high cost/high tax Austria continues to lose aircraft, traffic, tourism, and jobs to lower cost neighbours Italy & Slovakia.

Austria’s air travel market is collapsing because of this harmful aviation tax – which is one of the highest in Europe at €12 per passenger – making Austria completely uncompetitive compared to lower cost EU countries, like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, and regional Italy, where Govt’s are abolishing aviation taxes and cutting airport fees to grow traffic and tourism.

Ryanair has already been forced to cut 3 aircraft and close 3 routes from Vienna for W25. Wizz, Level and easyJet have also closed their Vienna bases, and Lufthansa announced a cut of 10 aircraft from its AUA fleet.

The Austrian Govt. must now wake up if it wishes to save Austria’s failing traffic, tourism, and jobs by immediately scrapping the Austria’s failed aviation tax, and lowering Vienna Airport’s excessive fees.

Ryanair’s Group CEO, Michael O’Leary said:

“We are disappointed with the Austrian Govt’s failure to honour their promise to respond to our $1bn growth plan, which would see Ryanair grow its Austrian traffic by 70% to 12m passengers p.a., base another 10 aircraft at Vienna, add 40 new routes and create 300 high paid jobs for pilots, cabin crew, and engineers. This would see Ryanair fill the gap left by Lufthansa, Wizz, and other high-fare airlines who have cut routes to/from Austria in recent months. All Chancellor Stocker had to do was to scrap Austria’s harmful aviation tax (which only raises €160m p.a.), which is already one of the highest in Europe at €12 per passenger.

As a result of Chancellor Stocker’s failure to reply to our growth proposal, Ryanair has been forced to cut another 2 aircraft from our Vienna base for S26, on top of the 3 aircraft already removed for W25. This capacity will instead be reallocated to other low-cost EU markets, like Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia, where Govt’s are abolishing aviation taxes to stimulate traffic and tourism growth.

The message is clear; Austria’s air travel market is collapsing due to its harmful aviation tax (which only raises €160m p.a.). Chancellor Stocker must act now to scrap this harmful tax and promote low-fare air traffic and tourism growth or suffer more cuts and higher air fares for Austrian passengers/visitors.”