Ryanair to shut base due to high fees
- By Reuters -
- May 08, 2026
ATHENS, May 8: Ryanair will close its operating base at Greece’s Thessaloniki airport this winter after airport operator Fraport increased annual fees, a senior executive said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Athens, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness said there was no progress in talks between the low-cost carrier and Fraport which has increased charges for airlines operating at some Greek airports.
“Fraport Greece continued to increase charges, which are now 66% above pre-Covid level”, McGuinness said, adding capacity at Athens airport will be reduced for the upcoming winter.
The combined moves will result in the loss of 700,000 seats and 12 routes across Greece and also the suspension of operations at Chania and Heraklion airports during off-peak months, he added.
About Ryanair
Ryanair Holdings plc is Europe’s largest airline group by passenger numbers and one of the world’s leading ultra-low-cost carriers. Founded in 1984 with a single route from Waterford to London Gatwick, it now operates from 90+ bases across 40+ countries, carrying 200.2 million passengers in the fiscal year ended March 2025 — the first European airline to cross 200 million in a year. In April 2026 alone it flew 19.3 million guests on 108,000+ flights with a 93% load factor, underscoring sustained demand for its no-frills, high-frequency model.
The group’s strategy hinges on a young, standardized Boeing 737 fleet that keeps unit costs among the industry’s lowest. As of May 2026 it operates 647 aircraft: 411 Boeing 737-800s with 189 seats, 210 Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 “Gamechangers” with 197 seats, plus 26 Airbus A320s at Lauda Europe. The $22bn Gamechanger rollout cuts fuel burn 16% and noise 40% versus older 737s, while 300 Boeing 737 MAX 10s on order will add 228 seats per aircraft from 2027. Ryanair allocates capacity aggressively to low-cost, low-tax markets — 9 aircraft and 4.3M seats in Croatia for summer 2026, new bases in Tirana and Rabat — while trimming routes in high-charge countries like Spain and Portugal. That cost discipline, fleet scale, and point-to-point network make it the backbone of affordable intra-Europe travel.