Ryanair Shifts Focus to Regional Airports in Germany
Ryanair is reshaping its German network for the summer of 2025 by shifting its focus toward regional airports and scaling back operations at major hubs. In a bold strategic move aimed at countering Germany’s high aviation costs, the low-cost carrier plans to launch 14 new routes and add 800,000 additional seats from regional airports including Baden-Baden, Bremen, Lübeck, Münster, and Weeze. However, these regional additions will not offset significant capacity cuts at larger airports such as Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Leipzig, and Dortmund.
CEO Eddie Wilson has been vocal in his criticism of Germany’s high access fees, air traffic control charges, aviation taxes, and security levies, which he claims have left the market underperforming compared to other European destinations. “While the German aviation market continues to collapse due to the government’s abject failure to reduce high access costs, a few German regional airports such as Baden-Baden, Bremen, Lübeck, Münster, and Niederrhein [Weeze] have acted with foresight and offset these high costs through lower airport fees,” Wilson stated.
Under the new plan, Ryanair will base one new aircraft at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport and another at Weeze Airport. The airline has scheduled five new routes to launch from Baden-Baden, four from Weeze, three from Hamburg Lübeck Blankensee Airport, and two from Münster Osnabrück International Airport. Among the exciting new services are flights from Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden to Gran Canaria and Seville; from Lübeck and Münster to both London Stansted and Malaga; and from Weeze to Dubrovnik and Paphos. Notably, Ryanair’s return to Lübeck marks the carrier’s first service from the airport since July 2014.
These regional enhancements are set against the backdrop of significant capacity reductions in larger markets. Plans include the closure of bases in Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig, which will result in the removal of all routes from these airports by summer 2025. Hamburg will see nearly a 60% reduction in capacity, while Berlin is expected to decline by about 17% and Cologne/Bonn by 6%. According to the latest schedules filed with OAG Schedules Analyser, Ryanair will offer roughly 6.2 million departure seats from Germany during the summer 2025 season—down 5% compared to summer 2024 and 11% below 2019 levels.
The reshaping of Ryanair’s German network comes amid clear signs that the country’s low-cost aviation market has yet to fully recover from the pandemic. The German aerospace center, DLR, reported in December that low-cost flight numbers remain more than 30% below 2019 figures. In contrast, while the broader European market has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels, the share of low-cost flights in Germany has dropped to under 30%, compared to 33% in 2019. Europe’s overall low-cost market share, however, now exceeds 35%, indicating a divergence between Germany’s market performance and the rest of the continent.
Ryanair’s strategic pivot is aimed at leveraging the competitive advantages offered by regional airports. These airports typically offer lower fees and reduced operational costs, which can help the carrier maintain its low-cost business model in a market hurt by steep charges. By concentrating on routes from less congested and more cost-efficient airports, Ryanair expects to sustain its growth despite the broader challenges faced by the German market.
This comprehensive network restructuring reflects Ryanair’s continued commitment to adapting its operations in response to market conditions and government policies. With its aggressive expansion into regional airports and a coordinated reduction at major hubs, the airline aims to not only cut costs but also capture a significant share of the German market by offering competitive pricing and expanded connectivity.
Related News : https://airguide.info/?s=Ryanair