British tourists visiting a particular European country could be dealt a major blow as Ryanair threatens to stop serving 10 key airports over a tax hike.
The Irish low-cost airline has sent a warning sign to France that if their 2025 budget includes higher taxes on the airline sector, the carrier will stop serving ten French regional airports from January 1.
“Ryanair expects to reduce capacity to and from French regional airports by up to 50% from January 2025 if the French government continues with its short-sighted plan”, said the airline’s commercial director, Jason McGuinness.
News of the potential cuts will have a major effect on travellers with the low-budget airline currently serving 22 airports in France, including two close to the Paris region: Beauvais (Oise) and Vatry (Marne).
Ryanair has yet to indicate which regional airports are at risk.
The airline says that the French government’s plan to increase passenger taxes by 260% “stands in stark contrast to the approach taken by rival European countries such as Sweden, Hungary, and Italy, which are abolishing air travel taxes to compete with countries such as Spain and Poland, which have no air travel taxes, in terms of connectivity and economic growth.”
Calling the tax hike an attack on ordinary French people living in the provinces, McGuinness confirmed that discussions are underway with the hubs that may be affected.
« You will see the initial impact on French regional airports from January, « added McGuinness.
The low-cost carrier added that higher air travel taxes mean higher access costs for passengers, which will make France (and particularly airports in the regions) less competitive as a destination for tourism and airline investment.
Ryanair is warning that the impact could go even further, with potential consequences for the summer season, which is the most important in terms of activity and profitability.
The French government is now scrambling to find funds to reduce a larger-than-expected budget deficit. In its 2025 Finance Bill, France has included a tripling of the solidarity tax on airline tickets (TSBA) and an increase in the taxation of private jet passengers, totalling one billion euros.
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