Low-cost carrier Ryanair officially announced on Friday that it will close its operating base at Thessaloniki Airport at the end of October. Reason for the closure is the increased annual fees by the airport operator Fraport, a Ryanair executive said on Friday.
The decision also concerns the reduction of capacity at Athens Airport for the winter of 2026
Ryanair had informed its employees about the closure two days ago after rumors in Thessaloniki had upset the local business and tourism community.
The decision for the Thessaloniki base, which serves three of the company’s aircraft, also concerns the reduction of capacity at Athens Airport for the winter of 2026, while it is attributed to the “excessive and uncompetitive charges” of Fraport and Athens International Airport.
According to a Ryanair announcement “the catastrophic loss of connectivity during the low tourist season is a direct result of the excessively uncompetitive charges imposed by the German-run Fraport Greece monopoly and Athens Airport.”
According to the company, the Greek government made the right decision to reduce the Airport Development Fee (ADF) by 75% – from 12 euros to 3 euros per passenger – from November 2024, which should immediately boost connectivity and tourism throughout the year in Greece. However, most Greek airports, especially those managed by Fraport Greece, refused to pass this reduction on to passengers.
According to Ryanair, they kept the benefit for themselves. “Since then, Fraport Greece has continued to increase its charges, which are now over 66% higher than pre-Covid levels. Accordingly, Athens Airport will also increase its charges this winter,” he stresses.
As a result, Greek airports are no longer competitive during the winter and mid-season tourist season, when the tourism industry’s dependence on low-cost airlines is greatest.
Ryanair said it had no choice but to transfer its capacity to more competitive countries, such as Albania, peripheral Italy and Sweden, where airports passed on government tax cuts to passengers.
Ryanair’s reduced schedule for the winter of 2026 in Greece will include:
1- Removal of 3 aircraft from the Thessaloniki base (investment of 300 million dollars)
2- Reduction of 700,000 seats (-45% compared to winter 2025)
Abolition of 12 routes (Thessaloniki to Berlin, Chania, Frankfurt-Hahn, Gothenburg, Heraklion, Niederrhein, Poznan, Stockholm, Venice-Treviso, Zagreb and Athens to Milan-Bergamo, as well as Chania to Paphos)
Closing of 2 airports (Chania and Heraklion)
Ryanair also presented an ambitious development plan to the Greek government, aiming to increase passenger traffic to 12 million passengers per year (+70%), the addition of 10 additional aircraft (an investment of over $1 billion) and the launch of 50 new routes over the next five years. However, according to the company, this plan can only be implemented if airport charges are frozen and if the 75% reduction in ADF is passed on to passengers at all airports. Otherwise, Greece will continue to lose investment opportunities, tourism and passenger traffic growth, as long as Fraport Greece and Athens Airport continue — as Ryanair reports — the “shameful practice” of withholding this tax reduction.
So far, there is no reaction by the Greek government or even the Tourism Ministry itself, as the Ryanair actions will heavily affect the so-called “heavy industry” of the country.
Not a bad thing. A flight which should have been 1 hr and 50 mins, took 2 hours and 50 minutes as an hour was spent on the apron waiting for permissions. Late arrival of the flight resulted in late departure (nothing unusual for most airlines) but serious ground ops need to reassess the onboarding of pax. 20 mins for 183 people is not possible. This causes more delays.
I’m flying quite often with Ryanair.. But their quality of service had been deteriorating, and I’ll see other options first from now onwards, even if it’s a bit more expensive. Their gate boarding procedures are becoming absolutely ridiculous, this is happening since last year, they make you stand waiting for 30 to 45 minutes even if there’s no one in the “priority” cue waiting..
Don’t moan Ryanair is value for money you pay your money and make your choice
I don’t blame Ryanair. Greece is ridiculously overpriced for what you get. Slow airport services and a 40 minute train delay at the airport, while paying €9 for a 50 year old dirty train is embarrassing. Greece needs to do better all around …Athens is disgusting!
Its just posturing by Ryan air as a negotiating tool, but I have no flown with them sinc they refused to ake an old ladies bag because the wheels made it and inche to big, so some customers removed the wheels and frame and then rya air said it was too heavy so another passenger asked to take some of her stuff but was told no sharing so who is disusting? Ryan Air or Athens. In asia some airlines allow you to buy extra cabin bag weight or even a second cabin back at reasonable price, possiblt a reaction to the ever incresing number og things you cannot out in the hold. Anything with lithium batteries for example and everything from nose hair removers to curling tongs have them
Today I looked at the sky and saw all this Airplane Gas that is covering our beautiful Greek Blue Sky and thought: “It would be so much better for the environment if planes would stop flying so frequently…” & Now this post 😂 haha
(Miss those Sailing Ship times)