Germany is facing an increasingly growing competitive disadvantage in air transport. While tax relief for air transport is being introduced in Sweden, high fees and taxes remain in place in Germany, which are putting a strain on the competitiveness of domestic airports and airlines.
According to Ralph Beisel, CEO of the airport association ADV, there is still a 15 percent lack of passengers in Germany compared to the time before the corona pandemic. Airlines such as Ryanair are announcing further cuts to their route network due to high government fees and regulatory burdens.
Beisel complains that Germany as an aviation location is disadvantaged by this policy and calls for relief in order to be able to withstand international competition. A comparison of flight routes shows a decline from 2.075 routes in 2019 to 1.767 in 2023. Beisel argues that Germany should follow Sweden's example and take measures to relieve the burden on airlines and airports in order to prevent the location from falling further behind in European comparison.
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