Ryanair scraps flights from EU airport but adds new route from Scotland in major reshuffle

Daily Record

2 days ago

The carrier has consistently criticised countries for rising taxes and has bailed from one European airport while adding another route in Scotland
Ryanair has pulled all of its flights from an EU airport amid its ongoing battle over rising aviation taxes. The budget carrier has also added new flights from Edinburgh Airport in a move one expert said was the airline showing two 'clear signals'.
All flights from Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands are to be axed from October 26 as the company said it was one of Europe's 'most expensive' airports. Ryanair has criticised the airport's costs along with the country's rising aviation taxes and said both will 'irreparably damage Dutch connectivity'.
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But the low-cost carrier is also introducing twice weekly flights to Rzeszów in Poland from Edinburgh with fares reportedly as little as £15, reports the Mirror.
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Ryanair's decision to pull out of Maastricht Airport following the introduction of an eco-tax in 2021 which they are required to cover.
The tax, of almost €30 per passenger, has been blamed for the airport's inability to recover its traffic since covid, says the airline.
The slashing of Ryanair routes from the airport removes options for passenger to fly to Alicante, Bari, Girona, Porto, and Zadar. It means the loss of 150,000 seats per annum, as well as five direct connections.
Ryanair's CCO Jason McGuinness said the airline was 'disappointed' with the decision, blaming Maastricht Airport for its 'soaring' taxes which have increased by 275 per cent in the last four years.
He said: "Ryanair continues to grow traffic (this year from 200m to 206m) by offering unbeatable low fares to customers across Europe at airports that have low access costs.
"Maastricht's sky-high costs are damaging its connectivity. [This is] evidenced by the Airport's failure to recover its traffic post-Covid, lagging far behind the rest of Europe at just 50 per cent of pre-Covid traffic in 2024 – a figure set to fall even further following Ryanair's exit."
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The airline has previously hit back at aviation taxes by pulling flights from an airport. And earlier this year it said it was cutting its summer traffic in Spain by 18 per cent meaning a loss of 800,000 seats and 12 routes to the popular holiday hotspot.
Ryanair has also scrapped all flights to and from Aalborg, after Denmark confirmed a 50DKK (£5.57) fee, will be applied to all passengers departing from Denmark and will be paid for by airlines.
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The new flights to the lesser-known Polish city of Rzeszów means customers can take in it's stunning architecture, rich history, and acclaimed Christmas markets.
Rzeszów is the largest city in southeastern Poland and dates back to the Middle Ages. For years, it's stayed out of the tourist limelight - overshadowed by the likes of Krakow and Warsaw - but the new flights may quickly change that.
In a statement sent to the Mirror, Anton Radchenko, Aviation Expert & Founder of AirAdvisor, said Ryanair's route reshuffle sends two 'clear signals'.
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He said: "Regional airports in the UK are getting more love, while underperforming bases like Maastricht are being cut loose.
"For UK passengers, this creates more direct options from places like Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Norwich, but also leaves them exposed to short-notice route cancellations."
Maastricht Airport has been approached for comment.