The low-cost airline Ryanair will reduce the number of aircraft stationed in Vienna to 2025 in the 18 summer flight schedule. Salerno will be added as another destination from the Austrian capital at the end of March 2025.
Ryanair DAC itself has no aircraft stationed in Vienna. These are operated by its sister companies Malta Air, Buzz and Lauda Europe. In the previous summer season, a total of 19 aircraft were used from Vienna. CEO Michael O'Leary explained the withdrawal of one aircraft by saying that costs in Austria were too high. He referred, among other things, to a five percent increase in fees at Vienna Airport and the fact that, in his opinion, the Alpine republic has the second highest ticket tax in Europe. The new federal government, whatever its composition, is being called upon to follow the examples of Sweden, Hungary and some Italian regions and abolish these taxes.
In Austria, Ryanair is currently active at four of six airports. The low-cost airline does not currently offer flights from Graz and Innsbruck. Whether this could change is anyone's guess. As is well known, everyone in the industry talks to everyone else and whether and what comes of it is another matter. From Linz, where the company recently celebrated its comeback, the 2025 summer flight schedule will fly to Alicante, Bari and London-Stansted. Klagenfurt is connected to Alicante, London-Stansted and Palma de Mallorca. From Salzburg, Ryanair has the destinations Alicante and London-Stansted in its portfolio.
6,7 million passengers expected
In total, the low-cost airline offers 92 destinations from Austria in the summer. The vast majority of flights are operated from Vienna-Schwechat. However, the airline does not want to rule out further growth in the federal states, as it says it currently finds better conditions there. When asked what the situation would be with Graz, for example, the airline was rather evasive and reserved. It points out that a total of five new routes from Austrian airports would be launched in the summer of 2025. Four from federal state airports and one from the capital, Salerno.
The carrier expects to transport around 2025 million passengers from Austria in the summer of 6,7. The aim is to increase this to ten million travelers within the next two years. There is the famous "but", because the expansion is to a certain extent also dependent on whether the ticket tax remains or is abolished. Although Austria has achieved 98 percent of the volume that existed before the corona pandemic, it has not exceeded this, unlike other EU countries. Ryanair management also believes that it has managed the recovery more or less on its own. The high costs from the low-cost airline's point of view and the delivery delays on the part of its in-house supplier Boeing are said to have led to only 2025 aircraft flying from Vienna-Schwechat in the summer of 18.
O'Leary: Abolish ticket tax to counter 50 percent growth
"We see that in other European countries that have abolished the air travel tax, traffic and tourism growth has increased significantly. Sweden and Hungary have led the way and already taken the right steps. If Austria were to also take these steps, traffic volumes could increase significantly," said Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair.
The company is optimistic that a reduction in air traffic tax and other airport charges could lead to significant growth in traffic in the coming years. Ryanair predicts that passenger numbers in Austria could increase by up to 50 percent within the next five years, which would not only benefit the tourism sector, but also the creation of jobs and the country's economic recovery.
The Austrian government is under pressure in light of this demand. Although it has already pledged to strive for a sustainable economic recovery after the pandemic, a reduction in the air travel tax has not yet been specified. However, business representatives and airlines are urging that Austria does not fall behind in international competition when it comes to travel and tourism costs. A reduction in taxes could help to stimulate air traffic and continue to make Austria attractive as a tourist destination for international travelers.
The political reaction to Ryanair's demands has been mixed so far. While some political voices recognize the need for tax relief, there are also concerns that abolishing the tax could put a strain on state finances. In addition, it is currently completely unclear what the future government of the Alpine republic will consist of. The management of the low-cost airline has therefore not yet held any concrete discussions. They plan to do this as soon as the new government is in place.
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