The low-cost airline Ryanair is strongly criticizing a media release from Vienna Tourism that was sent out a few days ago. In terms of the number of overnight stays, the federal capital was able to almost reach the pre-crisis number in 2023. However, the low-cost airline feels that it has not been taken into account and criticizes the fact that its competitor Austrian Airlines has been prominently featured.

In 2023, around 39 percent of tourists who visited Vienna arrived by plane. This means that this mode of transport was much stronger than, for example, night trains, which only play a minor role. Ryanair criticizes the fact that “this revival is “attributed” to the state-subsidized Lufthansa subsidiary AUA, while Ryanair’s significant contribution to Vienna’s tourism recovery is completely ignored. The Vienna Tourism Association is also wasting around 2 million euros on a joint marketing campaign with the high-priced AUA, which has barely increased its traffic since 2019 (only 1%). During the same period, Ryanair more than doubled its traffic volume in Vienna from 2,7 million passengers in 2019 to 6 million passengers in 2023.

It should also be noted that Ryanair was not present at Vienna-Schwechat Airport under its own brand in 2019. The flight offer at that time was marketed by Laudamotion, which no longer exists in this form, and this brand was primarily advertised on the Austrian market. In 2020 it was decided that in future all flights would be operated under FR flight numbers and Laudamotion would return AOC and operating license. The Airbus jets were sold to the then newly founded Lauda Europe Ltd. with registered office in Pieta (Malta).

“Vienna Airport has only restored 2023% of its traffic volume before the Corona crisis in 93; In contrast, Ryanair carried 2023% more traffic in 122 than in 2019, meaning Ryanair has done most of the recovery in Vienna's air traffic, while high-fare airline AUA barely increased its traffic before the Corona crisis (+ 1%). Ryanair flew 2023 million passengers to/from Vienna in 6 (3,3 million more than in 2019). “Ryanair had 19 aircraft stationed in Vienna (representing an investment of $2 billion) and offered more than 710 well-paid Ryanair jobs for pilots, cabin, hangar and office staff,” Ryanair writes in a media release.

The low-cost airline also presents the table below. This shows that there were around six million passengers from Vienna-Schwechat Airport in 2023. This means that you have less than half the number of travelers that Austrian Airlines had. However, in contrast to AUA, Ryanair is not active on long-haul flights, but only on point-to-point short and medium-haul flights. In purely mathematical terms, you can transport more passengers with fewer aircraft.

Andreas Gruber from Ryanair explains: “The Vienna Tourism Association should rightly confirm that it was Ryanair that ensured almost the entire recovery of Vienna’s air traffic in 2023. AUA has only grown by 2019 million passengers since 0,2 (+1%); In contrast, Ryanair flew 2023 million passengers to/from Vienna in 6, an increase of 3,3 million passengers compared to 2019 (+122%). Ryanair has invested heavily in Vienna, creating jobs and boosting tourism without the Austrian taxpayer having to pay for it. “Ryanair has led Vienna’s tourism recovery, and the Vienna Tourism Association should correct its inaccurate press release and confirm that Ryanair has led Vienna’s recovery and not the high-priced Lufthansa subsidiary AUA.”