Ryanair cuts 12 routes in Greece — 10 from Thessaloniki & calls for a “freeze” on airport charges

“High entree costs = No growth, nary jobs, nary tourism.”

That was the connection connected the banner held up astatine the extremity of yesterday’s property league by Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, pursuing the announcement that the hose would adjacent its basal of 3 craft successful Thessaloniki for the coming wintertime season. The slogan reflects the assertive strategy and publicity tactics the largest European low-cost hose has agelong pursued — not lone successful Greece — whenever it decides to retreat craft from a European destination it considers little profitable than others, portion ne'er hesitating to instrumentality erstwhile concern conditions go favorable again.

Yesterday, McGuinness continued successful the aforesaid tone, arguing that if the operating situation successful Greece were much competitive, the institution would beryllium consenting to summation wintertime capacity. He besides accused Fraport Greece — which manages Thessaloniki Airport nether the concession statement for Greece’s 14 determination airports — of operating arsenic a monopoly.

According to the airline’s authoritative statements, Ryanair is cutting a full of 700,000 seats and 12 routes crossed 4 Greek airports for the wintertime season, representing a 45% simplification compared with wintertime 2025. Ten of those routes are from Thessaloniki, the metropolis astir heavy affected since the hose is shutting down its three-aircraft basal determination for the winter. Decisions regarding the 2027 summertime play person not yet been made.

Ryanair’s determination comes during the wintertime season, already a low-demand play for Greece, portion wintertime 2026 is expected to beryllium hard and uncertain for airlines owed to geopolitical instability successful the Middle East, rising aviation substance prices, and imaginable proviso shortages that are expected to go much terrible during winter.

Fraport Greece responded powerfully yesterday, stating that “any claims regarding aviation charges and the Airport Development Fee established by the Greek State are wholly unfounded and wholly pretextual.”

The institution added that “the reasons starring Ryanair to trim its wintertime operations astatine Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport are exclusively linked to the airline’s commercialized planning, concern model, and profitability.” It besides noted that immoderate increases successful airdrome charges are provided for nether the concession statement signed with the Greek authorities and correspond to 90% of ostentation increases.

Fraport stated that it respects Ryanair’s concern decisions, noting that the hose remains 1 of its important partners, alongside the 40 different airlines presently operating astatine Thessaloniki Airport, connecting the metropolis and the wider Macedonia portion with much than 33 countries and 93 destinations.

“As Fraport Greece, we person invested much than €100 cardinal successful expanding and upgrading the infrastructure and facilities of Thessaloniki Airport, which has already recorded a 40% summation successful rider postulation during the 9 years nether our management. We stay firmly committed to our extremity of ensuring that Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport continuously possesses the modern infrastructure and operational readiness required to efficiently service the expanding rider flows resulting from the ongoing improvement of Thessaloniki and the wider portion arsenic an planetary destination.”

What Ryanair said yesterday

McGuinness utilized harsh language, accusing Fraport Greece “of monopoly practices and of expanding charges successful Greece by 66% since 2019.” He besides claimed that the airdrome relation “is disconnected from world and from the existent conditions successful European aviation. We are not asking for reduced charges lone for Ryanair, but for each airlines.”

Indicative of the airline’s strategy — and what appeared to beryllium a predetermined concern determination regarding Thessaloniki — was his effect erstwhile asked whether discussions oregon negotiations had taken spot with Fraport. He replied negatively, stating that nary negotiations had occurred and that the hose learned astir the charges electronically, arsenic is modular practice.

He besides presented a illustration showing what the hose could perchance connection Greek airports implicit 5 years if charges became much attractive, claiming Ryanair could deliver:

• a 70% summation successful traffic, reaching 12 cardinal passengers,
• 40% maturation during the wintertime play alone,
• 50 further routes,
• 500 caller jobs wrong the airline’s network,
• and 10 other craft based successful Greece.

According to McGuinness, the Irish low-cost bearer is focusing connected 3 main proposals for Greek airports:

• Breaking Fraport Greece’s “monopoly” and making the Greek aviation marketplace much competitive.
• Freezing airdrome charges crossed each Greek airports.
• Passing reductions connected to passengers: though the Greek authorities reduced the Airport Development Fee by 75% from November 2024, Ryanair claims respective Greek airports did not walk the simplification connected to passengers and alternatively maintained precocious fees.

Winter play cuts

Overall, Ryanair says it is cutting astir 700,000 seats for wintertime 2026 crossed 4 Greek airports:

• 500,000 seats from Thessaloniki,
• 160,000 from Athens,
• and the remainder from Chania and Heraklion.

The hose says it is reducing capableness by 60% successful Thessaloniki and 22% successful Athens. The 12 canceled routes are:

• from Thessaloniki to Berlin, Chania, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Heraklion, Düsseldorf, Poznań, Stockholm, Venice, and Zagreb,
• one way from Athens to Milan,
• and 1 from Chania to Paphos.

It is worthy noting that portion Ryanair claims 160,000 seats are being removed from Athens Airport adjacent winter, sources astatine Athens International Airport told newmoney.gr that this fig does not align with postulation levels for the azygous affected route, which are importantly lower.

McGuinness stated that “competition betwixt airports, markets, and destinations is highly aggravated close now, and airdrome charges indispensable bespeak that reality. Charges successful Greece are nary longer sustainable nether the existent aviation conditions, which is wherefore we are turning to different airports that are much competitive.”

He added that Ryanair has hedged 80% of its substance needs, but “in the existent situation each cent counts,” which is wherefore the hose prefers to absorption connected markets with much charismatic charges, specified arsenic Sweden, Italy, Albania, Slovakia, and others.

“We privation to turn successful Greece and lick the contented of seasonality, but we cannot run nether these conditions.”