On March 17, 2026, the low-cost airline Ryanair presented a detailed analysis of the latest traffic figures for Vienna Airport. According to the Irish market leader, the airport recorded a 2% decrease in flight movements in February compared to the previous year.
Ryanair accuses airport management of obscuring the true market trend by including transit passengers. Specifically, this refers to technical stopovers by Air India, which are used solely for refueling. According to the airline, these passenger numbers are being falsely included in the statistics to conceal the shrinking passenger volume at the Vienna hub.
The criticism comes at a time of massive restructuring at Vienna Airport. This week, competitor Wizz Air closed its base in Vienna and withdrew its five aircraft stationed there. The affected capacity was relocated to countries such as Slovakia and Italy. Ryanair attributes this withdrawal directly to the Austrian air passenger tax of €12 per passenger and high base fees. Competing countries like Sweden and Hungary have already abolished similar levies to specifically promote growth in the aviation industry and job creation in the tourism sector.
Andreas Gruber, spokesperson for Ryanair, called on the Austrian federal government under Chancellor Christian Stocker and Transport Minister Peter Hanke to take immediate action. He described the current tax burden as detrimental to competition and warned of a further exodus of air traffic to tax-free neighboring countries. To safeguard Vienna's attractiveness as an aviation hub, the company is demanding not only the abolition of the ticket tax, but also a reduction in air traffic control fees and the reintroduction of incentive programs for expanding airlines.
Market observers point out that pressure is mounting on Vienna Airport as more and more European governments liberalize their aviation strategies. While Vienna Airport emphasizes its importance as an East-West hub, industry experts warn of a permanent loss of market share to lower-cost locations such as Bratislava or Budapest. The debate surrounding the fiscal framework for air transport in Austria is further fueled by recent fleet shifts by low-cost carriers, as the industry demands an alignment with international cost levels to maintain the airport's operational excellence.