German airlines cut flights and seats dramatically since 2019, lagging Europe

An analysis by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Luftverkehrswirtschaft shows that German airlines have eliminated a substantial portion of their flight schedule since 2019, dropping the number of scheduled flights from around 1.7 million to fewer than 1.4 million and cutting seat availability to about 85 % of the 2019 level. While the rest of Europe has already surpassed its pre-pandemic capacity, reaching roughly 111 % of 2019 figures, Germany’s domestic market continues to shrink, with a further 1 % decline compared with the previous year.

Berlin’s air service is down 28 % from the pre-Tegel and Schönefeld era, and Frankfurt has lost 52 routes, Düsseldorf 46, and Cologne/Bonn 37. Ryanair announced it will shut its Berlin base on 24 October, dropping twelve connections and reducing winter seat supply by about 700 000 compared with the prior year. The industry attributes the downturn largely to rising airport taxes and fees, which have more than doubled at some locations, adding roughly €30-€35 per passenger in charges.