Germany loses cheap flights as airlines shift capacity abroad
Rising airport charges and taxes are forcing low-cost airlines to abandon German routes, pushing average fares up by double digits and redirecting capacity to rival European hubs.
The era of the €10 flight from Germany is finished. A new study by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) shows average basic one-way fares now range from €81 on Wizz Air to €141 on Eurowings, with Ryanair at almost €90 and EasyJet just over €107. These prices apply only to the most restrictive tickets, permitting just a small personal bag.
These figures, up from a range of €67 to €130 last year, align with official data from Germany’s statistical office showing an 8.5 percent increase in airfares during the first half of 2026. European routes, the backbone of short-haul leisure travel, saw an even steeper 11.5 percent jump.
For airlines, Germany has become a high-cost base that no longer justifies aggressive expansion. Budget carriers are currently operating just 82 percent of their pre-pandemic schedules in the country, according to aviation association BDL. Across the rest of the continent, low-cost capacity has surged by more than 30 percent over the same period.
Carriers are actively moving their assets to cheaper markets. Ryanair will close its Berlin base for the winter 2026 schedule, relocating its aircraft to other European airports. Lufthansa has similarly removed tens of thousands of flights following the closure of its regional subsidiary CityLine and has warned of further reductions next year.
The primary driver is a structural cost disadvantage. While the federal government recently reduced the air travel tax by €2.50 to €11.40 per passenger, airline executives argue this does not offset expensive security charges, air traffic control fees and general airport costs. Rather than absorb these expenses, carriers are choosing to deploy planes where margins are better.
The market impact is a clear reduction in price competition. With fewer seats available on popular routes, last-minute bargains are vanishing. The DLR study found that tickets booked just one day before departure now average between €118 and €201, compared to significantly lower rates for travellers booking three months ahead.
This pricing asymmetry threatens to reshape regional travel patterns and push spending outside Germany. Passengers living near the country's borders may increasingly bypass domestic airports entirely. Airports in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland and the Czech Republic are poised to capture this demand, offering a wider selection of low-cost routes that German hubs can no longer support.
