Ryanair threatens to end flights to ten regional French airports over tax plan
Airline boss says it will reduce traffic to France by 50% if proposed tax increases on tickets are approved
The airline ended all routes to and from Bordeaux in October
Ivo Antonie de Rooij / Shutterstock
Low-cost carrier Ryanair is threatening to end services to ten regional airports in France from January 2025 over government plans to increase airline taxes.
The airline said traffic to and from France would be reduced by 50% if the proposed tax rises – coming in the form of a solidarity tax airlines must pay on each ticket sold – are not removed from the upcoming 2025 budget.
“We will be closing these routes because, with this tax, they are not economically viable,” said Jason McGuinness, managing director of Ryanair in a press release.
The planned tax hikes would see the solidarity tax (taxe de solidarité sur les billets d’avion, sometimes known as the Chirac tax) rise across the board depending on the duration of a flight.
For example, it would increase to €9.50 (from €2.63 currently) for all tickets on European flights to or from France.
“Instead, our planes will fly to countries like Spain and Poland, where there is no aviation tax, or Italy, Hungary and Sweden, which have abolished them,” Mr McGuinness added.
In comparison to France, Sweden has recently abolished airline taxes, leading Ryanair to open ten new routes to the country, as well as to add two bases for its aircraft.
In October, Ryanair closed its hub at Bordeaux-Mérignac airport, ending all flights to and from the city in a dispute over fleet basing costs.
Read more: Bordeaux airport: ‘Ryanair pulling out was our worst-case scenario’
Regional airports to be most impacted
Ryanair currently serves 22 regional airports in France (25 overall) and has not announced which airports would see services reduced or ended.
The airports currently serves (including year-long and seasonal routes) are:
Beauvais, Bergerac, Béziers, Biarritz , Brive-la-Gaillarde, Carcassonne, Châlons, Clermont-Ferrand, Dole, Figari, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Lille, Limoges, Lourdes/Tarbes, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Perpignan, Poitiers, Rodez, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Tours,
Many of the smaller regional hubs rely on the airline’s services to stay in operation.
“The impact of the tax increase on passengers will be most damaging for regional France, which depends on competitive access costs,” said Mr McGuinness.
Increased taxes will “make many routes to and from the French regions unviable,” for the company, he added.
Carcassonne airport is only served by Ryanair, and at Limoges it is one of two airlines in operation (with the other only offering occasional domestic flights to Lyon).
These regional routes also provide a boost to local tourism, bringing passengers to the area.
Read more: Is Bergerac Airport too dependent on low-cost airlines?
At the same time, French public finance watchdog Cour des comptes has criticised some regional airports for their reliance on public funds to keep afloat, whilst simultaneously offering subsidies to low-cost companies such as Ryanair to offer flights.
Read more: Regional French airports under threat as auditors question value
When will the decision be finalised?
A final decision will be taken by Ryanair once the outcome of the 2025 budget is known.
It is currently being debated in the French Senate, and will be shuttled between Senators and MPs until later in the year when a final vote is taken.
The hard-hitting budget is attempting to raise €60 billion, coming from cuts to services and tax increases.
If this vote fails, prime minister Michel Barnier has said he will ‘probably’ use measures to pass the budget without a vote.
Read more: France’s 2025 budget will ‘probably’ be forced through without vote, says PM
There is still time before this final vote or passing of the budget for the tax increases to be removed.
French pilots engaged in strike action last week over the taxes, and said more action will be planned unless it is removed from the budget.
