The Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair will pull another two aircraft from its Vienna-Schwechat base, bringing the total reduction to five by next summer.
The airline said the move was a direct response to what it calls Austria’s “harmful” air traffic tax and high airport charges, which it argues make Vienna uncompetitive compared to other European hubs.
The decision, announced Tuesday evening, follows Ryanair’s earlier plan to relocate three aircraft for the winter 2025 season.
In a statement, the company criticised the Austrian government for its “continued failure to abolish the air traffic tax and reduce excessive airport fees,” saying the withdrawn planes would instead be transferred to lower-cost EU markets such as Italy, Hungary and Slovakia – countries where governments are scrapping similar taxes to boost tourism.
READ ALSO: What to know about Ryanair's plans to scrap routes at Vienna airport
Dispute over taxes and competitiveness
Ryanair has repeatedly clashed with Austrian officials over the €12 per-passenger air traffic levy.
During his last visit to Vienna, CEO Michael O’Leary urged the government to eliminate the tax entirely and accused policymakers of undermining growth in the aviation and tourism sectors.
The airline had presented what it described as a $1 billion growth plan that would have expanded annual passenger traffic in Austria to around 12 million (a 70 percent increase) and introduced ten new “Next-Gen” Boeing 8-200 aircraft by 2030. Ryanair said its proposals were ignored.
Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ) dismissed calls for a full tax repeal, telling Austria’s APA news agency that the government remains open to dialogue but cannot abolish the levy “in view of the budgetary situation.”
Vienna Airport, which has supported Ryanair’s position, again stressed the “necessity” of reducing or eliminating the flight tax to help maintain Austria’s competitiveness in air travel.
Hanke said his ministry is in “intensive discussions with aviation stakeholders” to safeguard Austria’s air connectivity, but added that airlines’ decisions to adjust routes or capacity must be accepted as “economic self-determination.”
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Will Austria cut its flight taxes to satisfy airlines like Ryanair?
Talks in September between industry representatives, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), and Hanke ended without agreement.
The opposition Freedom Party (FPÖ) seized on the dispute, accusing the government of “deliberate sabotage of the economy and tourism industry.” FPÖ Secretary General Christian Hafenecker called for the “immediate and complete abolition” of what he described as a “location-hostile rip-off tax.”
Ryanair currently operates 19 aircraft from Vienna. With five now slated for relocation elsewhere, the airline has warned that continued inaction by the government could lead to further cuts – and, as O’Leary put it, “higher airfares for Austrian passengers and visitors.”
Comments