Ryanair closes base at Berlin airport
The airline is moving seven aircraft and says it is halving its winter capacity from BER.
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Ryanair is closing its base at Berlin Brandenburg airport on Saturday. The airline is moving seven stationed aircraft to other European airports and, according to the company, reducing the number of flights from Berlin by about half.
The closure does not mean that Ryanair is leaving Berlin entirely. The airline will continue to serve the airport, but without its own base with aircraft and staff stationed there. According to Ryanair, capacity will fall sharply in the winter timetable.
Ryanair points to costs at the airport and German aviation charges. The airline says that airport costs in Berlin have risen sharply since the coronavirus period and that further tariff increases are being prepared. That account comes from the company itself and has not been independently established in the reporting.
According to Ryanair, the seven aircraft will be moved to cheaper airports in other European countries. The company says employees from the Berlin base can apply for positions elsewhere in the network. This does not mean that all jobs will be retained or that employees can transfer without consequences.
The German regional broadcaster rbb, which reported on the closure, describes Berlin Brandenburg as an airport that has been struggling with high costs and limited flexibility for some time. The airport opened in 2020 after years of delays and cost overruns. That background explains why the departure of a major low-cost carrier is politically sensitive.
For travellers, the decision may chiefly mean that fewer cheap connections from Berlin will be available and that some routes will disappear or be offered less frequently. What this means for individual routes remains unclear here.
The move forms part of a broader debate about the affordability of flying in Germany. Airlines point to taxes, security costs and airport charges, while governments and airports stress that infrastructure, security and climate policy entail costs. The closure itself does not establish which factor is decisive.
Ryanair's announced closure takes effect on Saturday. For Dutch travellers, the main point is that services at an important German airport are changing, not that the company is leaving Germany as a whole.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Ryanair is closing its base at Berlin Brandenburg.
- Seven aircraft are being moved.
- Ryanair will continue to serve the airport with reduced capacity.
- The airline cites costs and charges as reasons.
Left
Arguments A left-wing approach emphasises that aviation costs also reflect social costs, such as climate impact and public spending on security and infrastructure. In this view, cheap tickets should not be the only criterion for policy.
Values Climate responsibility, public services and worker protection.
Consequences Higher costs may restrict flying, but could help curb pollution and overcapacity; workers should be protected when a base closes.
Centre
Arguments The centre will seek a balance between affordable connectivity, a financially healthy airport and achievable climate goals. Transparent tariffs and independent assessment of costs would then matter more than the rhetoric of a single party.
Values Connectivity, feasibility and fair decision-making.
Consequences Targeted relief on charges or better services could preserve capacity, but only if public costs and climate goals are taken into account.
Right
Arguments From a right-wing perspective, the closure may be seen as evidence that high taxes, bureaucracy and expensive infrastructure are making Germany less competitive. From this viewpoint, the government should primarily reduce costs and leave room for airlines to compete.
Values Competitiveness, freedom of choice and lower charges.
Consequences Lower charges could attract connections and jobs, but could also mean reduced public revenues or weaker climate incentives.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The announced closure and the seven aircraft were reported by Ryanair and described again by Tagesschau. Unspecified route changes and possible job consequences were not presented as established facts.
- confirmed Ryanair is closing its base at Berlin Brandenburg on 24 October 2026. — Ryanair gives this date in its company statement; Tagesschau reported on the closure on 23 October. source
- confirmed Seven aircraft are being removed from the base. — Ryanair lists seven stationed aircraft; Tagesschau gives the same number. source
- confirmed Ryanair will continue to serve Berlin. — Ryanair reports that the airport will continue to be served, with reduced capacity. source
- confirmed The airline cites airport costs and German charges as reasons. — This appears in the company statement and is explicitly attributed to Ryanair in the article. source
Editor's note
The closure, the number of aircraft and the reduction in capacity come from Ryanair and have been confirmed by Tagesschau. Figures on cost increases have been attributed as Ryanair's position.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „ryanair berlijn”
- Het Parool — „ryanair berlijn”
- de Volkskrant — „ryanair berlijn”