The corporate stated it has “left with no alternative” however to relocate capability to extra aggressive nations corresponding to Albania, regional Italy and Sweden
Ryanair passengers board a aircraft on the Thessaloniki Airport (Picture: Getty)
Price range service Ryanair has introduced that 700,000 seats have been reduce, 12 routes misplaced and two airports closed. The airline on Could 8 introduced the closure of its three plane Thessaloniki basein Greece and reductions in capability at Athens Airport for winter 2026.
The corporate stated the “loss in off-peak winter connectivity is the direct results of the hopelessly uncompetitive prices charged on the German-run Fraport Greece monopoly and Athens Airport.”
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The Greek authorities in November 2024 made the choice to scale back the Airport Improvement Price by 75% (from €12 to €3 per passenger) which ought to have immediately stimulated year-round connectivity and tourism throughout Greece, the airline stated.
“Nonetheless, most Greek airports, notably these run by Fraport Greece, refused to cross the tax reduce onto passengers and as a substitute have pocketed the tax reduce for themselves,” Ryanair’s assertion added.
“Since then, Fraport Greece have continued to extend prices, which at the moment are +66% above their pre-Covid ranges. Likewise, Athens Airport will hike prices this Winter.”
Ryanair’s assertion continued: “Greek airports are now not aggressive within the off-peak shoulder and Winter months, when the tourism business’s reliance on low-fare connectivity is most acute.”
The corporate stated it has been “left with no alternative” however to relocate capability to extra aggressive nations corresponding to Albania, regional Italy, and Sweden. Airports in these nations have have handed on the financial savings from authorities tax reductions.
Ryanair Chief Industrial Officer, Jason McGuinness stated: “The elimination of three based mostly plane, 500,000 seats (-60% vs. Winter ‘25) and 10 routes from Thessaloniki for Winter ‘26 can be devastating for town and area, as Ryanair supplied 90% of worldwide capability to Thessaloniki final Winter.”
“Sadly, there’ll now be much less low-cost air fares for Thessaloniki’s residents and guests, and year-round tourism can be harmed because of this.”
Thessaloniki Airport (Picture: Getty)
The next 12 routes can be misplaced:
- Thessaloniki to Berlin
- Thessaloniki to Chania
- Thessaloniki to Frankfurt-H
- Thessaloniki to Gothenburg
- Thessaloniki to Heraklion
- Thessaloniki to Niederrhein
- Thessaloniki to Poznan
- Thessaloniki to Stockholm
- Thessaloniki to Venice-T
- Thessaloniki to Zagreb
- Athens to Milan-M
- Chania to Paphos
The next two airports can be closed:
- Chania
- Heraklion
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