Ryanair, in a statement, threatened to continue redirecting flights to more “competitive” destinations, such as Sweden, Hungary, and Italy.
For the upcoming winter, the airline plans to reduce its capacity in France by 13%, equivalent to 750,000 fewer seats, cancel 25 routes, and suspend services to three regional airports.
“This decision follows the French government’s failure to reverse the excessive increase in the air tax, which was raised by 180% in March 2025,” explained Michael O’Leary’s company.
The solidarity tax on airline tickets (TSBA) increased from 2.63 euros to 7.4 euros for domestic flights or flights to Europe.
“This astronomical tax makes France less competitive compared to other EU countries such as Ireland, Spain, and Poland, which do not levy any air tax,” emphasized Ryanair.
The Union of French Airports (UAF) warned of the risk that low-cost airlines, which account for more than 99% of business in Beauvais (north of Paris), Carcassonne, Béziers, and Nîmes (south), might withdraw from France due to the tax increase.
