Ryanair has announced that it will reduce the number of flights to a popular European destination from next year. The budget airline announced that it will be reducing its services as a result of “unviable” tax increases that were introduced last year.

The change has already started with Ryanair already pulling out of three regional airports this winter, including Bergerac and Brive, as well as reducing timetables at several other French destinations. Commercial officer Jason McGuinness also revealed that further cuts are yet to be announced.

Mr McGuinness told local media: “I can tell you that we will be leaving some regional French airports this summer…We are still working on our summer schedule. But unfortunately, there will be a reduction in the number of routes we offer in France.”

Flights to Spain and Germany will also be reduced from this winter due to increased airline taxes. The airline has decided to prioritise routes to countries and regions where taxes are low, non-existent or being abolished, such as Sweden and parts of Italy, reports The Connexion.

The exact number of cuts for next year is yet to be known. However, it is assumed that it will be similar to the ones from the 2025 winter schedule, which saw a 13% cut in flights to France.

Mr McGuinness added: “We are currently finalising negotiations with non-French airports, regions, and governments. These negotiations are expected to impact which routes to France are axed.

“The European aviation market is currently very constrained in terms of capacity…There is therefore enormous competition between governments, regions, and airports in different countries for very limited capacity. France is becoming less and less relevant for Ryanair.”

Despite the airline expecting to increase its fleet by 300 between 2023 and 2027, and having previously planned to double capacity in France, none of these are expected to travel to the country.

McGuinness revealed that when presenting the French Government with “a very ambitious plan” to double the number of passengers from 15 to 30 million between this year and 2030, base aircraft at 25 new airports, and increase the number of routes from 250 to 540, they got “nothing (from it)”.