BERLIN, Oct 13 (Bernama-dpa) -- Ryanair's decision to close its base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and cut its flights by around half is expected to push passenger numbers down as early as this year, airport chief executive Aletta von Massenbach said on Tuesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
The German capital's airport expects to handle 25.7 million passengers in 2026, down from 26.1 million last year, von Massenbach said, describing the decline as the "Ryanair effect."
For next year, the airport expects a further decline to 25 million to 25.2 million passengers. BER had originally expected up to 27 million passengers in 2027.
Von Massenbach said the loss of Ryanair passengers would be cushioned by other airlines but not fully offset. She said the airport would respond with a round of cost-cutting, with all costs under review and investments being delayed.
"This is a heavy blow," von Massenbach said, referring to Ryanair's announcement. The low-cost airline is closing its base involving seven aircraft and their crews at BER on October 24
Ryanair will continue to fly to the German capital but will lose around half of its previous offering, she said. That amounts to around 2.5 million fewer seats per year, von Massenbach said.
Von Massenbach said she understood the "frustration" at Ryanair due to high costs in Germany. She said she interpreted the criticism as primarily directed at the national government: "Everything they say against BER, they say against Germany."
The aviation industry has long complained about Germany's comparatively high taxes and fees, blaming them for the country's sluggish recovery in air traffic since the Covid-19 pandemic compared with the rest of Europe.
--BERNAMA-dpa