Ryanair cuts 5 aircraft and 1m seats from Austria’s summer 2026 flight schedule doe to €12 tax

Ryanair is to reduce its operations in Austria siby a million seats, withdrawing five aircraft based in Vienna, eliminating onem seats, and cancelling nine routes for the summer 2026 schedule.

The move is attributed to the Austrian government’s persistence with a €12 air traffic tax and the substantial increase in Vienna Airport fees, which have risen by 30pc since the Covid period, rendering Austria uncompetitive compared to neighbouring countries.

In the press release, Ryanair contrasts Austria’s situation with other EU nations that have abolished or reduced similar taxes to foster growth. For instance, Germany has lowered its air traffic tax and frozen navigation fees, prompting Ryanair to add 300,000 seats and eleven new routes there for summer 2026.

Similarly, Slovakia’s Bratislava Airport, a short drive from Vienna, has cut fees and eliminated the tax, leading Ryanair to invest $300m in three new aircraft, ten new routes, and a 70pc traffic increase. Other airlines like AUA and Wizz are also shifting capacities away from high-cost Austria to more affordable markets.

The release highlights the broader economic repercussions for Austria, noting that the country is among the few in Europe yet to recover pre-Covid traffic levels, with further declines anticipated in 2026 due to these policies. Vienna Airport has forecasted a 10pc drop in passenger numbers to below 30m, while the air traffic tax generates only €150m annually, less than the city’s parking fines,but inflicts greater losses through diminished tourism and employment.

Michael O’Leary shared “The Austrian economy and residents continue to pay the price for the government’s inaction in one of Europe’s most expensive air travel markets. As Ryanair is now forced to relocate five aircraft, nine routes, and onem seats from Austria for summer 2026, Austrian air traffic, which is still below pre-Covid levels, will now fall even further.

Vienna Airport now predicts that traffic in Vienna will decline by 10pc in 2026, while ‘Hopeless’ Hanke does nothing. If the Austrian government under ‘Sleepy’ Stocker is serious about economic recovery, it must urgently act to reduce costs, restore competitiveness, and prevent airlines and passengers from being driven out of Austria.

The government should follow the example of Slovakia, Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Albania, and Italy, where governments and airports are abolishing taxes and reducing airport and air navigation fees to stimulate growth. If Austria does not follow this example, it will continue to lose traffic, tourism, and jobs to its more cost-effective neighbours like Slovakia and Italy.

Ryanair calls on ‘Sleepy’ Stocker and ‘Hopeless’ Hanke to immediately abolish the harmful Austrian €12 air traffic tax, which generates less than €150m per year but costs billions through lower tourism revenue, lost jobs, and declining regional investments. If the Austrian government abolishes this harmful tax, Ryanair could increase its traffic in Austria by 70pc over the next five years to 12m passengers per year, significantly boosting traffic, tourism, and employment in Austria.”