Ryanair Leaves Berlin Airport

Apr 26, 2026, 13:44
A2

Ryanair Leaves Berlin Airport

Introduction

Ryanair will close its base in Berlin on October 24, 2026. There will be fewer flights in the city.

Main Body

Ryanair is moving seven planes to Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and Sweden. These countries have lower taxes. Fewer people will fly with Ryanair in Berlin. Berlin airport fees are now very high. Germany also increased taxes for passengers. Ryanair says it is too expensive to work in Germany. Some workers are sad. They say the company only cares about money. Some people think more people will take trains instead of planes. Fuel for planes is also expensive now. This is a problem for many airlines around the world.

Conclusion

Ryanair is moving to cheaper countries to save money. Some workers can move to other jobs in the company.

Vocabulary Learning

base (n.)
center / a place where a company works from基地；總部
Example:The airline has a large base at London airport.
fees (n.)
costs / money you pay for a service費用；服務費
Example:You have to pay entrance fees to visit the museum.
instead of (prep.)
in place of / used to show a choice between two things代替；而不是
Example:I will have tea instead of coffee today.
passengers (n.)
travelers / people who travel in a car, bus, or plane乘客；旅客
Example:All passengers must wear seatbelts on the plane.
taxes (n.)
money paid to the government / money you must pay to the government for services稅款；稅收
Example:People pay taxes to help build schools and hospitals.

Sentence Learning

Ryanair will close its base in Berlin on October 24, 2026.
Time and Place: The prepositional phrase "in Berlin" shows location, and "on October 24, 2026" shows the specific date.時間與地點: 介詞短語「in Berlin」表示地點，「on October 24, 2026」表示具體日期。
Ryanair is moving seven planes to Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and Sweden.
Connectors: The connector "and" is used to join the last item in a list of countries.連接詞: 連接詞「and」用於連接國家列表中的最後一項。
Berlin airport fees are now very high.
Time Marker: The time marker "now" describes the current situation.時間標記: 時間標記「now」描述了目前的情況。
Fuel for planes is also expensive now.
Prepositional Phrase: The prepositional phrase "for planes" explains what the fuel is used for.介詞短語: 介詞短語「for planes」解釋了燃料的用途。
Ryanair is moving to cheaper countries to save money.
Purpose: The phrase "to save money" explains the reason or purpose of the action.目的: 短語「to save money」解釋了該行動的原因或目的。
B2

Ryanair to Close Berlin Base Due to Rising Costs

Introduction

Ryanair has announced that it will close its operational base at Berlin Airport on October 24, 2026. This move will lead to a major reduction in the number of flights the airline operates in the German capital.

Main Body

The airline plans to move seven aircraft from Berlin to other EU countries, such as Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and Sweden, where aviation taxes are lower. As a result, Ryanair expects its annual passenger numbers in Berlin to drop from 4.5 million to 2.2 million by 2027. Although the airline will still fly to the city, these flights will be operated by planes based outside of Germany. Ryanair claimed that this decision was caused by a sharp increase in operating costs. The company emphasized that Berlin Airport fees have risen by 50% since 2019, and Germany's aviation tax has more than doubled. Additionally, security and air traffic control fees have increased significantly. The airline criticized the German aviation sector for being uncompetitive, noting that it has already closed bases in other cities like Stuttgart and Frankfurt for similar reasons. Different groups have reacted to this news in various ways. The trade union Verdi criticized the move, asserting that the company is prioritizing profits over its employees. On the other hand, analyst Jon Worth suggested that the rail sector could attract more passengers if trains become more reliable and affordable. Meanwhile, the airline is also facing global challenges, such as rising fuel costs due to conflicts in the Gulf, which may lead to further flight cancellations this summer.

Conclusion

To avoid high taxes and fees in Germany, Ryanair is moving its resources to cheaper European markets, while offering affected staff the chance to transfer to other positions within the company.

Vocabulary Learning

asserting (v.)
claiming / stating something strongly and confidently斷言；堅稱
Example:The trade union criticized the move, asserting that the company only cares about profits.
emphasized (v.)
stressed / to give special importance to something強調；著重
Example:The company emphasized that airport fees have risen significantly since 2019.
operational (adj.)
functioning / relating to the functioning or operation of something營運的；運作中的
Example:The airline's operational base in Berlin will close in 2026.
prioritizing (v.)
ranking / treating something as more important than other things優先考慮；把……排在首位
Example:The airline is prioritizing cost-cutting measures to remain competitive in the European market.
reduction (n.)
decrease / the act of making something smaller or less減少；縮減
Example:The move will lead to a major reduction in the number of flights next year.

Sentence Learning

The airline plans to move seven aircraft from Berlin to other EU countries, such as Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and Sweden, where aviation taxes are lower.
Relative Clause: The relative adverb 'where' introduces a clause that provides additional geographical context about the EU countries mentioned.關係子句：關係副詞「where」引導一個子句，為提及的歐盟國家提供額外的地理背景資訊。
Ryanair claimed that this decision was caused by a sharp increase in operating costs.
Passive Voice: The passive construction 'was caused by' is used to emphasize the result (the decision) and its cause in a formal, objective tone.被動語態：被動結構「was caused by」用於以正式且客觀的語氣強調結果（該決定）及其成因。
Although the airline will still fly to the city, these flights will be operated by planes based outside of Germany.
Contrast Linker: The conjunction 'although' introduces a concession, showing a contrast between the flight availability and the change in operational base.讓步連接詞：連詞「although」引導一個讓步子句，顯示航班供應與營運基地變更之間的對比。
The airline criticized the German aviation sector for being uncompetitive, noting that it has already closed bases in other cities like Stuttgart and Frankfurt for similar reasons.
Participle Clause: The present participle 'noting' functions as a supplementary action, adding supporting detail to the main verb 'criticized'.分詞子句：現在分詞「noting」充當隨附動作，為主要動詞「criticized」增添補充細節。
On the other hand, analyst Jon Worth suggested that the rail sector could attract more passengers if trains become more reliable and affordable.
Linking Phrase: The phrase 'on the other hand' is a transitional marker used to present a contrasting perspective from a different stakeholder.連接詞組：詞組「on the other hand」是一個轉折標記，用於呈現來自不同持份者的對比觀點。
C2

Ryanair Announces Closure of Berlin Operating Base Due to Escalating Costs

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

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.
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。