Copenhagen Still Not Fully Recovered Post-Covid

Increased Charges Further Damage Tourism Recovery & Future Growth

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (21 Jun) called on Copenhagen Airport to introduce lower airport charges that would drive much needed post-Covid tourism recovery and growth for Copenhagen over the next 5 years. Copenhagen has become an outlier in the EU, as well as within Denmark, with its traffic recovery lagging far behind its regional counterparts like Aalborg (+25%), Aarhus (+180%), and Billund (+120%), who are offering long-term cost certainty and incentives for all airlines to foster recovery and growth post-Covid. Copenhagen should follow the example of its regional counterparts and focus on introducing efficient incentive schemes.

Copenhagen has only restored 85% of its pre-Covid traffic due to its already high airport charges. The absence of charge reform at the Airport will only further damage Copenhagen’s connectivity, tourism recovery, growth, and economy. Even Denmark’s own national flag carrier, SAS, has reduced capacity at Copenhagen Airport (down 18%) compared to pre-Covid levels. Higher charges at Copenhagen will only make traffic recovery even more difficult and will damage Danish economic recovery.

Copenhagen Airport is national infrastructure, and as a significant shareholder with a c. 40% stake, the Danish State must ensure that Copenhagen Airport introduces a traffic recovery scheme that rewards all airlines who are willing to deliver connectivity and sustainable growth which benefits Danish citizens with more choice and lower fares, not just shareholders.

Copenhagen Airport already returned to profit in 2022 (making DKK 257M profit). Any increase in charges would be an abuse of Copenhagen Airport’s monopoly power at the expense of Danish passengers/visitors and the wider Danish economy. It is not up to Danish passengers/visitors to compensate the Airport for Covid losses, particularly when they are already suffering a cost-of-living crisis and high inflation, which Copenhagen Airport is insulated from.

Ryanair is the only major airline growing significantly in Europe, with two aircraft orders, including an order of 300 MAX 10 aircraft (which offer 21% more seats, burn 20% less fuel and emit 50% less noise) and an industry leading network of routes offering more choice and lower fares than any other airline in Denmark. Ryanair is uniquely positioned to deliver the needed connectivity and capacity to boost Copenhagen Airport back to pre-Covid levels. However, in order to deliver this much needed recovery and growth, as Ryanair has already done in other EU cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Porto and Stockholm, Copenhagen Airport must introduce lower airport charges and meaningful incentives schemes.

Ryanair’s Eddie Wilson said:

“With only 85% of its pre-Covid traffic restored, Copenhagen Airport must introduce lower airport charges and meaningful incentives schemes that support post-Covid tourism recovery and growth, and allow low-cost, efficient airlines, like Ryanair, to deliver much needed connectivity, traffic, and growth as we have done throughout Europe, including at Stockholm Arlanda, Madrid, Barcelona, and Porto Airports, where they offer competitive charges and long-term incentive schemes.

There is absolutely no logical reason for any charge increase at an airport that has already restored profits post-Covid, other than to further line its private shareholders’ pockets while Danish consumers, who are already suffering a cost-of-living crisis and high inflation, are left to foot the bill. Copenhagen Airport is part of Danish national infrastructure and as a significant shareholder with a 40% stake, the Danish State must ensure that Copenhagen Airport introduces a traffic recovery scheme that rewards all airlines who are willing to deliver connectivity and sustainable growth that benefits Danish economic recovery and consumer choice.

Ryanair is the only major airline growing significantly in Europe, with two aircraft orders, including an order for 300 MAX 10 aircraft on order and an industry leading network of routes offering more choice and lower fares than any other airline in Denmark. Ryanair calls on Copenhagen Airport to introduce lower airport charges and meaningful incentives so that we can deliver the much-needed connectivity and capacity to boost Copenhagen Airport above pre-Covid levels – rather than Denmark relying on bankrupt legacy carriers like SAS who have no hope of recovering Danish connectivity.

Ryanair guarantees to respond to lower charges at Copenhagen Airport with increased capacity and connectivity as we have demonstrated elsewhere in Europe. Copenhagen can only recover by incentivising airlines. Increasing charges will make Copenhagen even more uncompetitive with other European capitals with no prospect of post-Covid recovery for years to come as traffic migrates to more competitive major city airports.”