6 POPULAR SUMMER ROUTES AXED – INCL. BARCELONA, GDAŃSK & VIENNA
AS HIGH LATVIAN TAXES & ATC CHARGE INCREASES FORCE GROWTH TO FASTER-GROWING CEE MARKETS
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 11 Mar) announced a 20% capacity cut to its Riga Summer ’26 schedule, including the closure of 6 popular routes – including Barcelona, Gdańsk and Vienna – as high and uncompetitive Latvian aviation taxes and increasing ATC charges continue to undermine growth, connectivity and tourism.
Ryanair continues to work constructively with Riga Airport, which has engaged positively with the airline on efficiency and charges. However, the Latvian Government’s failure to reduce aviation taxes and overall access costs, including the Security Monitoring Charge collected on behalf of the CAA, and the surprising increase of ATC cost from January’26, means Latvia is losing out to faster-growing, lower-cost markets in Central and Eastern Europe such as Slovakia, Hungary, Albania and Poland, where Governments actively support growth, tourism and jobs.
As a result of Latvia’s uncompetitive tax regime and growing ATC costs, Ryanair will cut its Riga Summer ’26 capacity by 20%, reallocating routes to markets where Governments are reducing costs and backing aviation growth. This will see 6 Riga routes – including Barcelona, Gdańsk and Vienna – removed from the schedule for Summer ’26, reducing choice and connectivity for Latvian consumers and visitors.
Unless the Latvian Government acts urgently to reduce aviation taxes and improve Latvia’s competitiveness, Riga will continue to lose routes and capacity to neighbouring CEE markets that are winning investment, connectivity and jobs.
Ryanair’s Head of Comms for CEE & Baltics, Alicja Wójcik-Gołębiowska, said:
“Ryanair regrets being forced to cut our Riga Summer ’26 capacity by 20% and close 6 popular routes, including Barcelona, Gdańsk and Vienna. Riga Airport has engaged constructively with us, but the Latvian Government’s insistence on maintaining uncompetitive aviation taxes and now increasing ATC charges leaves Latvia falling behind other CEE markets that are actively reducing costs and supporting growth.
While Slovakia, Hungary, Albania and Poland are attracting new routes and more capacity thanks to lower access costs and pro‑tourism policies, Latvia is going in the opposite direction. High taxes, higher ATC charges and the CAA Security Monitoring Charge mean fewer routes, less choice and higher fares for Latvian consumers, and they are driving airlines like Ryanair to move aircraft to countries that want growth, tourism and jobs.
Ryanair wants to grow in Riga – to add routes, base more aircraft and bring even more visitors to Latvia – but this requires the Latvian Government to act. Unless aviation taxes and access costs (including ATC and CAA charges) are reduced, Riga will continue to lose out to other CEE markets that understand that lower costs mean more traffic, more tourists and more high‑paying jobs.”