France : Ryanair Threatens More Cuts If Air Tax Rises

Ryanair leader Michael O’Leary has rattled Paris erstwhile more, telling French media that nan hose will trim capacity ‘again’ if nan authorities presses up pinch different emergence successful its formation levy.

The spat centres connected nan solidarity taxation connected aerial tickets (TSBA), which jumped from €2.63 to €7.40 per summons successful March 2025. O’Leary branded nan summation “unjustified for a assemblage that doesn’t make a batch of money”, and said nan bearer has cheaper options elsewhere if France won’t budge.

Why nan formation taxation statement matters for French travellers

Ryanair says it tabled a scheme to double its postulation successful France by 2030—but only if summons taxes are rolled back. Without that, craft will beryllium redeployed to lower-cost markets, nan CEO warned. The low-cost elephantine has already trim French capacity by 13% for winter—about 750,000 seats— and is dropping 3 location airports: Strasbourg, Bergerac and Brive.

O’Leary besides took purpose astatine French air-traffic control, calling it Europe’s slightest businesslike and accusing controllers of pre-weekend “recreational” strikes that trigger overflight cancellations because home services are prioritised. His broadside plays into a long-running manufacture gripe: that higher taxes and patchy ATC capacity yet push up fares and pare backmost prime for passengers.

Paris bites back: ‘dialogue yes, threats no’

France’s Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot bristled astatine nan rhetoric. “I won’t tolerate this measurement of doing things,” he told Le Parisien, insisting dialogue, not threats, is nan measurement forward—and pointing retired that Ryanair has doubled its profits successful a year. He accused nan hose of trying to dodge societal and fiscal obligations and dismissed O’Leary’s slur connected ATC arsenic an overblown caricature of a number of behaviours.

Tabarot had antecedently signalled individual reservations astir making nan higher TSBA permanent, but his connection now is blunt: argumentation will not beryllium written astatine nan extremity of an hose property release.

Routes, prices, capacity: What French travellers should expect

Short term: nan wintertime schedule will bespeak nan 13% simplification already announced, pinch less low-fare options from affected regions and nan 3 airports temporarily disconnected Ryanair’s map.
Medium term: everything hinges connected nan adjacent French fund and whether summons taxes climb again. If they do, O’Leary says much craft will time off France; if they don’t, he hints astatine growth—but only pinch taxation relief.

This is simply a powerfulness play pinch real-world consequences. Higher levies make France a pricier spot to alert from; capacity cuts mean little title and, usually, higher prices. For now, support an oculus connected your way for schedule tweaks—and don’t beryllium amazed if nan authorities of taxation takes a wound retired of your prime of flights.

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