Ryanair has reduced its capacity in Germany for the current winter season and has cancelled 24 routes following the government's decision to maintain the country's existing air passenger tax.

The current government, led by Joachim-Friedrich Mertz, had previously committed to reducing taxes on the aviation sector and even proposed reversing the 20% increase in air passenger taxes introduced by the previous government. However, these adjustments were not included in the government's budget plans for 2026.

On Wednesday, October 15, the Irish-owned carrier announced that it had cut more than 800,000 seats from its 2025 winter operations as a "direct result of the Federal Government's repeated failure to address the high access costs in Germany."

The company cancelled 24 routes at nine German airports—including Berlin, Hamburg, and Memmingen—while flights from Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig remain suspended after Ryanair ceased operations in early summer due to high airport and air traffic control charges.

The decision comes after Ryanair announced similar capacity reductions in France in July following the French government's decision to increase the solidarity tax on air tickets. The carrier will also reduce its operations in Spain following a dispute with airport operator AENA over a planned increase in charges.

Ryanair's Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, said in a statement that it is "very disappointing that the newly elected German government has already failed to deliver on its commitment to reduce aviation taxes and the exorbitant access costs that are suffocating the German aviation sector."

Brady concludes that "this entirely avoidable loss of connectivity will cause our capacity to fall below winter 2024 levels and will have a devastating impact on connectivity, employment, and tourism in Germany."

Ryanair calls on German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder to take "urgent action" to reduce the country's aviation taxes, which, according to the company led by Michael O'Leary, are among the highest in the EU.

"Without immediate intervention, Germany will continue to fall further and further behind the most competitive European countries until summer 2026," the company concludes.