Editorial Team
Our content team
4 min read
800,000 fewer seats. 24 routes gone. Three airports abandoned entirely. Ryanair slashed its German operations for winter 2025/2026 harder than almost any other country in Europe. And if you've been flying out of Dresden, Leipzig, or Dortmund, you're out of luck.
I looked at the numbers, and honestly, the scale of this pullback caught me off guard.
What Actually Happened?
According to Simple Flying, Ryanair axed 24 routes from Germany for the winter 2025/2026 schedule, pulling nearly 800,000 seats from the market. Nine airports across the country were hit.
The result? Germany is sitting at just 89% of its 2019 flight capacity. The European average? 114%. That's a record 25-point gap. Low-cost carriers in Germany are offering only 71% of their 2019 capacity, while across Europe they're at 112%.
Which Airports Are Affected?
Here's the breakdown:
| Airport | Impact |
|---|---|
| Leipzig | Completely abandoned |
| Dresden | Completely abandoned |
| Dortmund | Completely abandoned |
| Hamburg | 28% capacity cut in winter, another 20% gone for summer 2026 |
| Berlin | Route reductions |
| Cologne/Bonn | Route reductions |
| Memmingen | Route reductions |
| Frankfurt-Hahn | Route reductions |
Dr. Michael Engel from the Federation of German Airlines put it bluntly: "This was a withdrawal with advance notice."
Hamburg is getting hit particularly hard. The airport is losing another 20% of Ryanair capacity for summer 2026 on top of the winter cuts.
Why Is Ryanair Doing This?
Two words: aviation tax and airport fees.
Germany raised its aviation tax (Luftverkehrssteuer) by 24% in May 2024. Jens Bischof from the German Aviation Industry Association (BDL) said: "State charges for aviation have nearly doubled in Germany since 2020."
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary wants the tax abolished completely. Eddie Wilson, also a Ryanair CEO, stated in a company press release that even after restoring 300,000 seats for summer 2026, Germany's total capacity will remain below 2025 levels.
Ryanair isn't alone in pulling back, either. Eurowings dropped four routes from Nuremberg. British Airways cancelled Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart. Lufthansa is cutting roughly 100 domestic flights per week.
There's a Small Silver Lining
Starting July 2026, the aviation tax drops from EUR 15 to EUR 12 per ticket under the coalition agreement. Ryanair is responding with a partial reversal for summer 2026: 300,000 additional seats and 11 new routes at cheaper airports like Cologne, Weeze, Memmingen, and Bremen.
But for Leipzig, Dresden, and Dortmund? No comeback on the horizon.
What This Means for You
If Ryanair was your go-to from one of the affected airports, you'll probably need to look at alternatives. Airlines like Eurowings, easyJet, or Wizz Air are partially filling the gaps. But less competition usually means higher fares. That's just how it works.
For those still flying Ryanair from remaining airports, it's worth brushing up on their hand luggage rules, because those have been shifting too. And if you're relying on the small 40x30x20 bag, our Ryanair bag guide has recommendations that actually fit.
General advice: check the current carry-on dimensions for 2026 before you book anything. The rules are changing faster than anyone would like right now.
