Ryanair Reduces Fleet in Vienna: Austrian Market Loses Planes and Tourists.

According to inkorr.com: The budget airline Ryanair has decided to reduce its fleet in Vienna, removing two more planes due to high taxes and fees. This decision will result in investment losses of about 200 million dollars and may significantly impact the aviation market in Austria in 2025. This was reported by .

Why Ryanair is Leaving Vienna

The airline noted that the Austrian government did not pay attention to a proposal for a 1 billion euro investment project that could increase the country's passenger flow to 12 million people per year and would involve adding ten new Boeing 8-200 planes by 2030. Despite the potential benefits, the authorities took no measures to reduce aviation taxes and fees.

The main problem is a tax of 12 euros per passenger, which is one of the highest in Europe. In contrast, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and Sweden are trying to reduce or eliminate these fees to support tourism development.

Consequences for the Market

High taxes make the Austrian air travel market uncompetitive. Because of this, not only Ryanair but also other companies — Wizz Air, Level, and easyJet — have reduced their presence in Vienna. Additionally, Lufthansa has announced a reduction of its subsidiary Austrian Airlines (AUA) fleet by ten planes.

Experts predict that the reduction in the number of aircraft will lead to fewer flights, increased ticket prices, and a decrease in tourist flow to Austria, which is gradually losing ground to cheaper neighbors — Italy and Slovakia.

Overall, such actions by Ryanair and other airlines indicate a crisis in Austria's aviation industry, where unaffordable prices threaten not only international connections but also the economy of the tourism sector. This is a challenge for the Austrian authorities to find a balance between taxation and infrastructure development to remain competitive in the European context.