The Low Cost company has announced a series of drastic measures in France in the face of the 180% increase in the solidarity tax on aircraft tickets.
Faced with the outbreak of taxes, Ryanair retaliated. The Low-Cost company announced on Wednesday July 30 in a statement that she was going to greatly reduce her activities in France from this winter. In question: the increase in the solidarity tax on plane tickets, from 2.63 to 7.40 euros since March 1 for domestic and European flights. An increase of 180 %, entered in the 2025 budget to bring 800 million euros to the State.
“This astronomical tax makes France less competitive compared to other EU countries such as Ireland, Spain or Poland, which impose no air tax” says the company. Sweden, Hungary and certain regions of Italy have removed taxes “to stimulate traffic, tourism, employment and economic recovery” recalls the airline.
In response to this tax, Ryanair announced “the cessation of its operations” in three French airports: that of Bergerac (Dordogne), Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) and Brive (Corrèze) from where she served Ecosse or Portugal. Measures that are only on the start since the company plans to reduce its capacity in the country by 13 %, which means the abolition of 750,000 seats. This drop will be particularly marked in regional airports (-27 %), but will also receive Marseille (-9 %), Paris-Beauvais (-8 %) and Toulouse (-4 %). In addition, 25 lines will be deleted, including that between Tours and London. “This loss of connectivity, entirely avoidable, will be disastrous for French regional connectivity, employment and tourism “.
Other non -profitable lines deleted?
A decision that comes as the company has multiplied the warnings in the face of the increase in the tax, which would make many links to France not profitable. In February, his leader Michael O’Leary threatened to reduce his activities in France if the solidarity tax was maintained. Shortly after, Ryanair suppressed two lines connecting Vatry (Marne) airport to Porto and Marrakech, denouncing a “short -view” tax policy.
Today, the company is once again putting pressure on the French government: “Without urgent action, France risks losing even more capacity and investment for the benefit of more competitive markets on the horizon of summer 2026, leaving its half -empty regional airports”, alerts Ryanair. If the tax is removed, the company promises “ambitious growth in France in the coming years” with an investment of $ 2.5 billion in the country (25 new planes), a doubling of its traffic at 30 million passengers per year, and the creation of 750 additional jobs in the region.
The air traffic situation is “unacceptable” in France according to the commercial chief Officer de Ryanair, Jason McGuinness. It is still lower than the pre-Covid “levels because of excessive taxes and safety costs imposed by the government” which make many regional French lines not profitable, especially in winter. The day after this announcement, French Minister for Tourism Nathalie Delattre said on TF1 to be “alongside the Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot” to suppress this tax.
“The fact remains that Ryanair has had a deletion plan for a while and sometimes takes advantage of this type of effect to reduce the wing,” she added. The Minister believes that “there is a problem with this tax” and recognizes that “on low cost, it can be understood even more: when you make a round trip, 15 euros on a low cost it can make a difference”. “This tax is likely to slow down air traffic,” she said.
