Ryanair has fired another broadside at Austrian aviation policy, announcing on 29 October 2025 that it will remove two additional Boeing 737-8-200 aircraft from its Vienna base for the summer 2026 schedule. The Irish low-cost carrier says the decision—which it values at a lost US $200 million (€172 million) investment—comes after months of unanswered pleas for the federal government to scrap Austria’s €12-per-passenger air transport tax and encourage Vienna Airport (VIE) to cut what the airline calls “excessive” charges.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the move is part of a wider rethink of the airline’s Central European capacity deployment. With high-cost neighbours such as Italy and Slovakia abolishing or reducing aviation taxes, “Austria is pricing itself out of the market,” O’Leary warned. The carrier has already removed three aircraft for winter 2025/26 and cancelled several routes; it now threatens deeper cuts unless Vienna follows competing hubs in lowering operating costs. O’Leary revealed that Ryanair put a €1 billion growth plan on Chancellor Christian Stocker’s desk in September that would have based ten additional “Game-changer” MAX 8-200s in Vienna by 2030 and lifted annual passenger throughput to 12 million—about 70 % above 2024 levels. “We still have no reply,” he said.
Vienna Airport, which relies on low-cost carriers for roughly one-fifth of its short-haul traffic, echoed the call to abolish the federal tax and said it will cut its own fees by up to 4.6 % from 1 January 2026. Management argued that its tariff structure is already on par with 2015 in real terms, but conceded that “uniform, Europe-wide levies” would be preferable to nationally variable charges that distort competition. The airport also sought to soften the blow, pointing out that Austrian Airlines plans extra rotations on two European routes next summer, while SAS and leisure carrier Condor have announced new or expanded services.
For business-travel managers, the Ryanair downsizing introduces fresh uncertainty around seat availability and pricing to and from Austria, potentially forcing corporates onto higher-fare legacy carriers or indirect routings through neighbouring capitals. It also complicates mobility planning for multinationals that rely on Vienna as a Central-European hub for assignments across the region. Travel-budget scenarios for FY 2026 may need adjustment if further capacity reductions drive fares higher during peak months.
Ryanair’s ultimatum piles pressure on Austria’s coalition government ahead of the 2026 budget debate, where industry groups have long lobbied for the aviation tax to be trimmed or abolished. With Wizz Air, Level and easyJet having already shut their Vienna bases, stakeholders fear that continued inaction could reverse post-pandemic traffic recovery and erode Austria’s connectivity, with knock-on effects for inward investment and tourism.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the move is part of a wider rethink of the airline’s Central European capacity deployment. With high-cost neighbours such as Italy and Slovakia abolishing or reducing aviation taxes, “Austria is pricing itself out of the market,” O’Leary warned. The carrier has already removed three aircraft for winter 2025/26 and cancelled several routes; it now threatens deeper cuts unless Vienna follows competing hubs in lowering operating costs. O’Leary revealed that Ryanair put a €1 billion growth plan on Chancellor Christian Stocker’s desk in September that would have based ten additional “Game-changer” MAX 8-200s in Vienna by 2030 and lifted annual passenger throughput to 12 million—about 70 % above 2024 levels. “We still have no reply,” he said.
Vienna Airport, which relies on low-cost carriers for roughly one-fifth of its short-haul traffic, echoed the call to abolish the federal tax and said it will cut its own fees by up to 4.6 % from 1 January 2026. Management argued that its tariff structure is already on par with 2015 in real terms, but conceded that “uniform, Europe-wide levies” would be preferable to nationally variable charges that distort competition. The airport also sought to soften the blow, pointing out that Austrian Airlines plans extra rotations on two European routes next summer, while SAS and leisure carrier Condor have announced new or expanded services.
For business-travel managers, the Ryanair downsizing introduces fresh uncertainty around seat availability and pricing to and from Austria, potentially forcing corporates onto higher-fare legacy carriers or indirect routings through neighbouring capitals. It also complicates mobility planning for multinationals that rely on Vienna as a Central-European hub for assignments across the region. Travel-budget scenarios for FY 2026 may need adjustment if further capacity reductions drive fares higher during peak months.
Ryanair’s ultimatum piles pressure on Austria’s coalition government ahead of the 2026 budget debate, where industry groups have long lobbied for the aviation tax to be trimmed or abolished. With Wizz Air, Level and easyJet having already shut their Vienna bases, stakeholders fear that continued inaction could reverse post-pandemic traffic recovery and erode Austria’s connectivity, with knock-on effects for inward investment and tourism.
