Ryanair to Shut Down Berlin Hub

(MENAFN) Ryanair, Europe’s biggest budget airline, announced on Friday that it will shut down its Berlin hub starting Oct. 24, 2026, attributing the move to elevated operational expenses and newly imposed fee hikes by Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

In an official release, the carrier added that it plans to further scale back its flight operations within Germany, pointing to continuously high running costs as the main reason behind the reduction.

As part of this plan, Ryanair will discontinue operations at its Berlin base, which currently hosts seven aircraft, and transfer those planes to more cost-efficient EU destinations. The airline also confirmed that its winter flight schedule in Berlin will be reduced by half.

The company explained that fees at Berlin Brandenburg Airport have surged by 50% compared with levels before the COVID-19 pandemic, while passenger numbers have dropped significantly from 36 million to 26 million.

Even with the noticeable decrease in traveler volume, Ryanair criticized the airport operator’s plan to implement an additional 10% rise in charges for the 2027–2029 timeframe, calling it “excessive.”

Ryanair stated that pilots and cabin crew impacted by the shutdown will be given opportunities to relocate to other company bases across Europe. Meanwhile, the airline intends to continue expanding its operations outside Germany.

Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson remarked that the airline had “no alternative” but to proceed with closing its Berlin base.

MENAFN25042026000045017167ID1111030551