Ryanair to axe key routes losing hundreds of flights over air levy row

Budget airline Ryanair is planning to axe key German routes, losing hundreds of flights over an air levy row with Olaf Scholz's government.

Ryanair said it's dropping departures to Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig next year, which will cut its seat capacity by 1.8m.

The airline said Scholz's government needs to drop its air traffic tax and lower air traffic control fees, saying demand in Germany has been stifled.

The budget airline also called for an increase in the security fee cap, which is planned to be introduced next year, to be delayed.

Eddie Wilson, the chief executive of Ryanair's aviation division, said it's presented a seven year plan to double the passenger numbers in Germany but it's had 'no engagement' from the government.

He warned of a 'devastating' impact for tourism, jobs and connectivity if the seat capacity is reduced.

He told The Telegraph: 'Citizens will continue to pay the highest air fares in the worst recovered aviation market in Europe.' 

It comes after Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said he would be 'happy' to introduce a two-drink limit on his company's flights, as long as the same rules are applied to airport bars.

O'Leary admitted that the budget airline saw a 'spike' of violent disorder among its passengers over the summer, adding that flights to party hotspot Ibiza were often the rowdiest.

He told Sky News that would be 'happy to [introduce the limit] tomorrow.'

'If the price of putting a drink limit on the airport, where the problem is being created, is putting a drink limit on board the aircraft, we've no problem with that.

'The real issue is how do we stop these people getting drunk at airports particularly as, like this summer, we've had a huge spike in air traffic control delays.

'They're getting on board with too much alcohol in their system. If we identify them as being drunk on board, we don't serve them alcohol. But that doesn't solve the problem.'