German air traffic still 11 percent below pre-Covid levels

Germany

High access costs keep Germany the weakest-performing aviation market in Europe.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has published its July traffic update for Germany, showing that the country remains the slowest to recover from the pandemic. Excessive access costs – including the high aviation tax, air traffic control charges, security fees and airport costs – continue to undermine competitiveness.

Traffic at costly airports such as Dresden and Leipzig, where Ryanair has ceased operations, has fallen to 60% and 74% of pre-Covid levels. Berlin, constrained by a night-flight ban, remains at just 71%. Data from the German Aviation Association (BDL) confirm the trend: around 60 aircraft have already been withdrawn from the German market due to high costs.

The German market currently recovers at only 89% of pre-Covid levels, making it the weakest in Europe. This stands in stark contrast to countries such as Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary and Poland, where governments cut access costs and abolished aviation taxes to stimulate post-pandemic growth.

Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said Germany is falling behind its competitors because of high costs and an unreformed aviation tax. “If the government abolished this unjustified tax and reduced charges, Ryanair would immediately double traffic and invest $3 billion in new aircraft, routes and jobs.”