This announcement follows comments from CEO Michael O'Leary, who indicated that the airline would be scaling back its operations in the UK due to the Government's recent decision to increase air travel taxes in the Autumn Budget.
O'Leary argued that this budget has "harmed" the country's growth potential and has "made air travel considerably more expensive." Starting April 1, 2026, the Air Passenger Duty (APD) for short-haul international flights will rise by £2 for economy tickets, while a much steeper 50% increase will be applied to affluent private jet owners.
Despite his wealth, O'Leary stated that Ryanair would now "reassess" its flight schedules, suggesting that this reduction could result in as many as five million fewer passengers at UK airports. During his remarks on Friday, he criticized the Government for "damaging tourism and air travel to and from the UK." He further stated, "Chancellor Rachel Reeves's misguided decision to increase the already high air travel taxes in the UK will lead to cuts, not growth."
"This short-sighted tax grab will make air travel much more expensive for ordinary UK families going on holidays abroad and will make the UK a less competitive destination compared to Ireland, Sweden, Hungary and Italy where these Governments are abolishing travel taxes to stimulate traffic, tourism, and jobs growth in their economies."
Ryanair achieved a record high in passenger numbers for August, reporting that it transported 20.5 million individuals. However, the airline experienced a 46% decline in profits earlier this year, attributed to a 15% decrease in average fares during the three-month period ending in June.
During the Budget announcement regarding the increase in air passenger duty, Rachel Reeves noted that the tax had not been adjusted in accordance with inflation for several years. She indicated that this "adjustment" would result in a modest £2 increase for short-haul economy flights.
The Chancellor addressed the Commons on Wednesday, stating, "Air passenger duty has not kept pace with inflation in recent years, so we are implementing an adjustment that will lead to an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight."