Ryanair is slicing a number of routes from Vienna and withdrawing three of its nineteen primarily based plane, demanding that Austria scrap its aviation tax and cut back airport and air visitors management charges. The transfer follows Wizz Air’s latest determination to shut its Vienna base, additionally citing excessive working prices. A number of routes to the previous Yugoslavia might be affected by these developments. For the reason that onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Vienna Airport has raised its charges by 30%, whereas the Austrian authorities has elevated the passenger tax on European flights to 12 euros. Regardless of this, the nation’s aviation market has but to completely get better to pre-pandemic ranges, at the moment standing at 98% of 2019 passenger volumes.
Starting with the 2026 summer time season on March 29, Ryanair will discontinue its seasonal service between Vienna and Break up, which had been operated thrice per week. The low value provider may even cut back frequencies on a number of different routes from the Austrian capital. Flights between Vienna and Niš might be lower from 5 to 3 weekly, whereas operations to Banja Luka might be lowered from 4 to 2 weekly rotations. Companies to Zadar will see minor changes, with Might frequencies trimmed from eight to 6 per week, earlier than returning to eight weekly for the rest of the summer time. Dubrovnik flights will stay unchanged at 5 per week. Additional changes stay potential at this early stage of scheduling.
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, stated, “The federal government’s twelve euro air journey tax and extreme entry prices have rendered Austria utterly uncompetitive. The closure of Wizz Air’s 5 plane base underscores that Austria is not aggressive in comparison with decrease value EU markets comparable to Sweden, Hungary and regional Italy, nations which have already abolished their air journey taxes to advertise visitors progress”. He added, “Ryanair reiterates its name on the Austrian authorities to observe the instance of different EU nations comparable to Sweden, Hungary and Italy and abolish this dangerous twelve euro air journey tax. If the federal government abolishes this tax, Ryanair will carry as much as twelve million passengers per yr in Austria over the subsequent 5 years, considerably boosting tourism, jobs and financial progress. Nevertheless, if the federal government fails to grab this vital alternative to extend visitors and assist financial restoration, ticket costs for Austrian passengers will inevitably rise. Ryanair will then be pressured to additional cut back its operations in Austria (as Lufthansa and Wizz not too long ago did) and shift plane and capability to lower-cost markets comparable to Sweden, Italy and Hungary”.
