Ryanair Announces Closure of Berlin Operating Base Due to Escalating Costs

Apr 26, 2026, 13:44

Introduction

Ryanair has announced the planned decommissioning of its operational base at Berlin Airport, effective October 24, 2026, resulting in a significant reduction of its flight capacity within the German capital.

Main Body

The decision involves the reallocation of seven aircraft from Berlin to airports in EU member states—specifically Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and Sweden—where aviation taxes have been eliminated. This strategic shift is projected to reduce Ryanair's annual passenger volume in Berlin from 4.5 million to 2.2 million by 2027, representing a 50% decrease in traffic. The airline will maintain service to the city, though flights will be operated by aircraft based outside of Germany. Ryanair attributes this withdrawal to a substantial increase in operational expenditures. According to the carrier, Berlin Airport fees have risen by 50% since 2019, with an additional 10% increase projected between 2027 and 2029. Furthermore, the airline cites the doubling of Germany's aviation tax (from €7.30 to €15.50 per passenger), a doubling of security fees (from €10 in 2024 to €20 by January 2028), and a tripling of air traffic control fees (from €1 to €3.30 per passenger). These factors are presented as part of a broader trend of uncompetitiveness in the German aviation sector, which has previously led the airline to close bases in Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, and Frankfurt, and cease operations in Dortmund, Leipzig, and Dresden. Stakeholder responses to the announcement vary. The trade union Verdi has characterized the move as a profit-driven corporate strategy, asserting that employees are treated as disposable assets. Conversely, railway policy analyst Jon Worth suggests that the reduction in air capacity presents an opportunity for the rail sector to increase passenger numbers, provided that issues regarding reliability and pricing are addressed. From an analytical perspective, this development occurs within a broader context of industry-wide volatility. Rising jet fuel costs, linked to conflicts in the Gulf, have pressured airline margins globally. While some carriers utilize fuel hedging to mitigate these risks, others, such as American Airlines, have reported significant profit erosions. Ryanair's leadership has indicated that fuel shortages could potentially necessitate the cancellation of up to 10% of late summer flights if shipping stability is not restored.

Conclusion

Ryanair is transitioning its assets from Berlin to lower-cost European markets to mitigate rising German aviation taxes and airport fees, while affected staff are being offered transfers within the company's network.

Vocabulary Learning

decommissioning (n.)

withdrawal from service / the formal process of taking a facility or equipment out of active status停止運作；正式關閉

Example:The decommissioning of the old nuclear power plant took several years to complete safely.

mitigate (v.)

alleviate / to make something less severe, serious, or painful減輕；緩解

Example:The government implemented new policies to mitigate the effects of the economic recession.

necessitate (v.)

require / to make something necessary as a result or consequence使成為必要；迫使

Example:The sudden increase in demand will necessitate the hiring of additional staff.

reallocation (n.)

redistribution / the action of moving or assigning resources to a different place or purpose重新分配；重新撥配

Example:The company's restructuring involved the reallocation of funds from marketing to research and development.

volatility (n.)

instability / the quality of being subject to frequent, rapid, and unpredictable change波動；不穩定性

Example:Investors are concerned about the current volatility in the global stock markets.

Sentence Learning

Present Participle for Result: The participial phrase 'resulting in...' functions as a resultative clause, illustrating the logical consequence of the decommissioning without the need for a coordinating conjunction.現在分詞表示結果：分詞短語「resulting in...」充當結果狀語，在不需要並列連詞的情況下，說明基地關閉後產生的邏輯後果。

The decision involves the reallocation of seven aircraft from Berlin to airports in EU member states—specifically Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and Sweden—where aviation taxes have been eliminated.

Non-restrictive Relative Clause: The relative pronoun 'where' introduces supplementary information about the fiscal environment of the specified countries, providing essential context for the strategic shift.非限定性關係從句：關係代名詞「where」引導補充信息，說明所列國家的財政環境，為這次策略轉移提供了必要的背景資訊。

The airline will maintain service to the city, though flights will be operated by aircraft based outside of Germany.

Reduced Relative Clause: The past participle 'based' functions as a concise adjectival modifier for 'aircraft,' replacing the full relative clause 'which are based' to enhance lexical density.縮減關係從句：過去分詞「based」充當「aircraft」的簡練形容詞性修飾語，取代了完整的關係從句「which are based」，從而增加詞彙密度。

Conversely, railway policy analyst Jon Worth suggests that the reduction in air capacity presents an opportunity for the rail sector to increase passenger numbers, provided that issues regarding reliability and pricing are addressed.

Conditional Conjunction: The formal conjunction 'provided that' establishes a specific prerequisite that must be fulfilled for the subsequent opportunity to be realized, offering a more sophisticated alternative to 'if.'條件連詞：正式連詞「provided that」確立了一個特定的先決條件，必須滿足該條件所述機會才能實現，這是「if」更為高級的替代表達。

Ryanair's leadership has indicated that fuel shortages could potentially necessitate the cancellation of up to 10% of late summer flights if shipping stability is not restored.

Modal Nuance and Hypotheticality: The combination of the modal 'could' with the adverb 'potentially' and the verb 'necessitate' expresses a highly nuanced, tentative prediction about future requirements.情態語氣與假設性：將情態動詞「could」與副詞「potentially」及動詞「necessitate」結合，對未來的需求表達了一種極其微妙且暫定式的預測。