Ryanair Urges Austria to Scrap €12 Flight Tax Amid Route Cuts
Ryanair has urged the Austrian government to scrap its €12 aviation tax by 1 May, warning that airlines are cutting routes and shifting capacity elsewhere. The carrier says the charge has already affected operations, with airlines including Wizz Air, Level and easyJet reducing or leaving parts of the market. Austrian Airlines and Ryanair have also adjusted schedules as aircraft move to lower-cost bases.
According to the airline, neighbouring countries are attracting more flights by lowering charges and offering incentives. Slovakia, Italy and Albania are cited as examples where taxes have been reduced or removed, making them more competitive. Ryanair says higher costs in Austria are driving airlines to move flights elsewhere, while nearby airports are adding routes and seeing more demand.
The carrier has outlined a potential growth plan worth around $1 billion, which includes basing additional aircraft in Vienna and expanding services across regional airports. It claims passenger numbers could rise by 70% to reach 12 million within five years. However, this expansion depends on policy changes, including removing the tax, reducing air traffic control fees and restoring earlier incentive schemes.
If airlines keep moving flights to nearby countries, more people may choose to fly out of airports outside Austria. Cities like Bratislava, Milan or Tirana could feel easier to use, especially for those living near the border. That can mean more direct flights and a wider choice of departure times, and it may slowly change how people plan trips across Central and Southern Europe.
“Today we call again on Chancellor Stocker and Transport Minister Hanke to abandon their failed high tax policies. Austria has become totally uncompetitive, and is losing aircraft, routes and traffic to lower cost alternatives like Slovakia, Albania and Regional Italy. Even Sweden, the home of Greta Thunberg and flight shaming, has now abolished its aviation tax. Meanwhile, Austria has the highest aviation taxes, the highest ATC fees, and Vienna Airport has abandoned its growth incentive schemes, making Austria and Vienna hopelessly uncompetitive at a time when neighbours such as Slovakia have abolished aviation taxes, slashed ATC fees, and have lowered airport charges through growth incentive schemes, which Vienna Airport used to offer, but no longer does."
The discussion shows how ticket costs and airport charges affect where airlines fly and how people choose routes. When operating costs go up, some flights are reduced or removed; when they drop, airlines tend to add capacity again. Decisions taken in Austria now will influence flight options, prices and the role of nearby airports in the coming years.