Ryanair has chosen to close down its base at Germany’s Frankfurt am Main airport and relocate its five aircraft to other European airports.
The decision has been made as a direct consequence of the airport opting to increase airport charges while most others in Europe have chosen to lower them in an effort to help stimulate traffic recovery. Though Ryanair will continue to invest in Germany – it has invested €175 million in two new aircraft for its Nuremberg base.
As Europe’s largest carrier, Ryanair is attracted to airports which are reducing their charges, particularly at a time when the Irish low-cost carrier has invested in 65 new Boeing 737 8-200 ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft for this summer. Ryanair has written to all pilots and cabin crew directly affected by the closure at Frankfurt, assuring them of positions elsewhere within the company’s network as it continues its plans to grow in a post-covid environment, notably by investing in a total of 210 aircraft.
Commenting on the decision to close the Frankfurt am Main hub, Ryanair’s Director of Commercial Jason McGuinness said: “We are disappointed to announce the closure of our Frankfurt am Main base at the end of March 2022, but we have no alternative in response to a decision from the airport to increase its airport fees, despite the collapse in traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While Ryanair continues to invest in German airports who understand the requirement to lower airport charges to recover traffic, competition in the German market has been massively distorted by the €9bn of State Aid that was pumped into Lufthansa, who continues to cut its fleet, connections, and jobs.” (£1.00 = €1.20 at time of publication).