Why Ryanair is cancelling flights to France: The 180% tax hike that could close Bergerac Airport
August 5, 2025
Ryanair has confirmed it will halt all flights this winter to Bergerac, Brive and Strasbourg, effectively pulling out of three French regional airports.
At the heart of the move is a passenger ticket tax that has increased by 180% since March this year. Ryanair says the increase undermines the commercial viability of many of its French routes, particularly to smaller and regional airports.
Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport, heavily reliant on Ryanair traffic, has said a permanent loss of Ryanair could lead to its closure.
Ryanair cancels French flights and routes
Across France, Ryanair has cancelled out some 13% of its capacity, pulling 750,000 seats and 25 routes from its schedules.
Regional airports are the worst hit. Aside from the three losing service entirely, other regional airports are looking at cuts of around 27%.
At larger airports like Marseille, Paris-Beauvais, and Toulouse, reductions are more reasonable. Marseille‑Provence loses 9% of its capacity, Paris-Beauvais 8% and Toulouse-Blagnac 4%.
While some of the reduction reflects seasonal adjustments, Ryanair has made it clear that the primary driver is financial, specifically, what it calls a “damaging and anti-competitive” hike in French ticket taxes.
Why Ryanair is cooling on French flights
Ryanair’s French retreat has been spurred by a sharp increase in France’s Solidarity Tax on Airline Tickets (TSBA), which took effect in March 2025.
The short-haul economy class tax rose from €2.63 to €7.40, a 180% increase. Medium-haul and long-haul fares saw even steeper hikes, with first- and business-class tickets now taxed at up to €70 per passenger.
The French government says the aviation tax supports climate objectives and solidarity efforts, as revenues are allocated toward global health funding and the country’s ecological transition.
But Ryanair, which sells tickets at ultra-low margins, says the increase undermines the commercial viability of dozens of routes, especially at smaller airports where demand is thin and price sensitivity is high.
“These excessive taxes make flying in France uncompetitive compared to other EU countries,” said Jason McGuinness, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer. “While the likes of Ireland, Poland, and Italy impose no air ticket taxes, France has opted to raise them by over 180%—damaging regional connectivity and tourism.”
France isn’t the only country to feel the sting of Ryanair’s strategic cutbacks. In April 2025, Ryanair formally urged the newly elected German government to abolish the country’s aviation tax, which had been increased in May 2024 from €12.48 to €15.53 per passenger.
Ryanair then announced cuts amounting to roughly 1.8 million seats (12%) in Germany, including the withdrawal from Dresden, Dortmund, and Leipzig airports, with a 60% reduction at Hamburg.
In the UK, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, condemned the forthcoming rise in UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) as ‘idiotic,’ threatening to pull 10% of flights from Britain if it goes ahead. UK APD is set to rise from £13 to £15 for short-haul flights on 1 April 2026.
This autumn, the low-cost giant will withdraw from Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands over what it calls ‘excessive’ Dutch aviation taxes.
In response to the route cuts, France’s Transport Minister Clément Beaune pledged there would be no further increases in aviation taxation over the next few years.
Ryanair departure could close Bergerac Airport for good
The most severe fallout may be felt in Bergerac, a Dordogne airport heavily reliant on seasonal UK and Ireland traffic. The cancellation of Ryanair’s operations strips the airport of its primary commercial carrier, threatening its viability.
According to local officials, Bergerac could lose as many as 18,000 passengers this winter, a 7% drop in annual footfall. But the bigger concern is structural: the loss of Ryanair may discourage future investment, limit tourism growth, and sever affordable air links between the Dordogne and the UK.
“If Ryanair decides to follow through on its threat and leaves Bergerac for good, the airport may face closure,” warned Christophe Fauvel, President of the Dordogne Chamber of Commerce, speaking to The Connexion.
Ryanair is the largest operator at Bergerac (EGC), flying to UK regional airports including Bournemouth, Bristol, Edinburgh and London Stansted. Since it arrived in 2021, the airport has doubled its passenger numbers, from around 250,000 to almost 600,000 in 2024.
Bergerac airport management has pointed out that the immediate impact this winter would be somewhat softened by planned runway resurfacing during January and February.
Nonetheless, officials admitted the Ryanair exit raises concerns about long-term operational sustainability, especially given the airport’s reliance on seasonal tourism.
The region’s tourism board has yet to comment formally, but local hospitality and business groups are said to be preparing lobbying efforts aimed at encouraging the airline to reconsider ahead of the summer 2026 schedule.
