Ryanair to cut 50% of Berlin flights and quit Bremen Airport

Ryanair has announced plans to drastically reduce its operations out of Berlin, terminating flights to 12 destinations and halving the number of flights heading to and from the city. This decision comes as part of a pattern of measures the Irish budget airline is taking in response to German government-imposed airport taxes. The cuts will result in a sharp decline in passenger numbers, from around 5 million to approximately 2.5 million annually.

Additionally, Ryanair will cease operations at Bremen Airport, a move that will see passenger figures at the airport drop by around one-fifth. In response to the cuts in Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen, easyJet Germany's boss indicated the rival budget airline will bolster its services out of Berlin. The airline's decision follows years-long negotiations with German authorities over airport tax concessions, with Bremen's Senator for Economic Affairs, Kristina Vogt, accusing Ryanair of demanding access to German airports at prices that would render them unprofitable.