Ryanair is withdrawing flights in various parts of Europe during the current year.
In a significant move, budget airline Ryanair has announced plans to cut flights in several European countries for the year 2025. The most notable impact will be felt in Spain, where the airline has decided to remove nearly 800,000 seats from its summer schedule. This decision includes the closure of bases in Jerez and Valladolid and the cancellation of numerous routes, significantly reducing travel options, particularly at smaller and regional airports.
The reasons behind these cuts are disputes with the Spanish Airport Authority and rising fees. Ryanair has also blamed Denmark's new air travel tax for its decision to scrap 24 routes out of Billund, Denmark's second-largest airport.
However, when it comes to other countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and France, there have been no reported large-scale cutbacks by Ryanair for 2025. While there is mention of operational updates and increased passenger numbers, no explicit scale-backs in these countries have been indicated.
In Italy, the anticipated 2025 Jubilee, a Holy Year for the Catholic Church, is expected to draw over 30 million tourists to the Italian capital. Ryanair's restrictive policies are seen as damaging connectivity, tourism, and jobs in Italy.
In France, Ryanair has highlighted issues with ATC strikes, but no explicit flight cuts have been reported. It remains to be seen what Ryanair will do next in France following the news of the tax increase.
Meanwhile, Ryanair is pivoting to prioritising airports with lower fees in Austria, including Linz and Salzburg. The airline is also closing its two-aircraft base at Billund Airport in Denmark and is scrapping flights from this airport.
In Germany, Ryanair is cutting flights to six destinations from Berlin's Brandenburg airport and will operate flights to seven destinations from Tarbes Lourdes Pyrenees airport. Ryanair has also announced plans to cut flights to Brussels, Kaunas in Lithuania, Krakow, Luxembourg, and Riga from Berlin.
In summary, for 2025, Ryanair’s significant Europe-wide flight reductions appear concentrated primarily in Spain, with no confirmed large-scale cutbacks in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, or France at this time. It is important to note that the cost of Denmark's air travel tax would be passed on to passengers.
In light of the airline industry's challenges, individuals seeking jobs related to travel may find fewer opportunities with Ryanair in Spain due to significant flight cuts, especially during summer, resulting from disputes with the Spanish Airport Authority and rising fees. Conversely, in countries like Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and France, jobs in the travel sector may remain stable, despite ongoing operational updates, as Ryanair has yet to announce major scale-backs for 2025.
