Ryanair has issued a fresh call on the recently elected German government to completely abolish the country’s aviation tax, in addition to reducing air traffic control and security fees by 50%.
The airline said this measure is needed in order to reverse the “unjustified cost increases” that the country’s government has imposed the since the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2024, the German government raised aviation tax rates by 19%, with taxes varying between €15.53 and €70.83 per passenger.
At the time of the tax increase, IATA’s director general Willie Walsh, said Germany’s government should “focus on improving its competitiveness” rather than opting for a short-term revenue boost.
Now, both the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) political parties, along with the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD), have stated that they are currently "considering" reducing the aviation tax.
As a first step, the new German government should abolish the aviation tax and halve the excessive air traffic control and security fees,” said a spokesperson for Ryanair.
Ryanair also stated that it will invest in new aircraft that will be stationed in Germany, open new routes, bring more travellers into the country and help the German economy recover, if these costs are reduced.