Germany has become the most expensive country in Europe for air travel due to high state-imposed charges. Lufthansa, the nation’s largest airline, has sharply criticized the federal government for failing to deliver promised relief measures for the industry.
“It is very disappointing that the draft budget for 2026 does not foresee any relief for flights departing from Germany,” said Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter.
He warned that the company may be forced to reduce routes and relocate aircraft to more profitable markets.
Airports in Bremen, Dresden, Cologne, Leipzig, Münster, Nuremberg and Stuttgart are among those potentially at risk.
Growing burden on airlines
Statistics show that Germany ranks 28th out of 31 European countries in terms of post-pandemic aviation recovery.
Ritter emphasized that rising costs for air navigation and security have made entire economic regions less connected to international markets.
According to Lufthansa, fees have climbed sharply since the beginning of 2025: take-off and landing charges are up by 40 percent, while air traffic control costs have increased by 25 percent.
Record-high location costs at German airports
The German Airline Association (BDF) reports that state-related charges per departure have risen by as much as 128 percent since 2019.
Stuttgart currently tops the list, with levies of €5,109 for an intra-EU flight with 150 passengers. Frankfurt follows at €4,847 (+83 percent since 2019) and Berlin-Brandenburg at €4,238 (+92 percent).
By comparison, airlines pay just €524 in Istanbul (+4 percent since 2019), €687 in Madrid and €1,892 in Brussels, which is also part of the Lufthansa Group network.
Calls for tax cuts and state support
Ritter has urged the government to act quickly: “The downward spiral must be stopped. Costs for air traffic control and aviation security need to be reduced through greater state involvement, and the air traffic tax should be lowered.”
He received backing from CDU politician Christoph Ploß, the federal tourism coordinator.
“Germany must remain attractive as an aviation hub,” Ploß said, pointing to the coalition agreement that had promised tax relief for airlines. Reducing the aviation tax alone would cost the federal budget about €300 million annually, while covering the base costs of air traffic control would add another €300 million.
Security controls represent an even larger burden of over €1 billion per year.
German hubs under threat
Lufthansa warns that if costs remain high, foreign hubs will gain ground at the expense of Frankfurt and Munich.
The airline notes that the number of feeder flights connecting smaller German airports to major hubs has already halved since 2019.
