Ryanair will close their Frankfurt base on March 31st, 2022 and will reallocate the five based aircraft to airports with lower airport charges. All Ryanair Frankfurt-based pilots and cabin crew members can secure alternate positions within the carrier’s network.
On Friday (January 7, 2022), Ryanair announced the closing of their Frankfurt am Main base on March 31st, 2022 due to increasing airport charges. The carrier continues to invest in Germany, as evidenced by a $200 million investment in a new two aircraft Nuremburg base, and will reallocate the five Frankfurt-based aircraft to airports which have lowered airport charges to help stimulate traffic. All Frankfurt-based pilots and cabin crew members have been notified of the base closure and will be given the opportunity to secure alternate positions throughout the carrier’s growing network. Customers who will be impacted by flight cancellations resulting from the base closure will receive notification and refunds over the coming days.
In Friday’s announcement, 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.
“Efficient operations and competitive airport fees provide the foundation from which Ryanair can deliver long-term traffic growth and increased connectivity for airports and regions. This is impossible at Frankfurt following the German Government’s decision to increase its passenger taxes, and the Airport’s decision to increase its already high and uncompetitive fees. Ryanair continues to successfully negotiate the long-term low costs required from airports to underpin Ryanair’s industry leading low fares, which is driving Ryanair’s recovery and leading Europe’s post-Covid recovery.”
Ryanair Holdings, plc is Europe’s largest airline conglomerate and the parent company of Buzz, Lauda, Malta Air, and Ryanair DAC. The airline usually carries over 154 million passengers annually with over 2,500 daily departures. Ryanair typically serves over 200 destinations in 40 countries with a fleet of over 400 Boeing 737 Family aircraft and 20 Airbus A320s. Currently, the low-cost carrier has an additional 210 Boeing 737 8-200s on order. Ryanair has maintained a stellar safety record for over 35 years and prides itself on being “Europe’s greenest cleanest airline group,” promising customers a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 50%, versus the “Big 4 EU major airlines.”
Source: Ryanair