Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 11, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGerman aviation faces economic risks as airlines withdraw due to high costs, leading to job losses and reduced economic value.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Airlines are withdrawing aircraft from Germany due to soaring state-imposed costs, the German Aviation Association (BDL) said on Monday, warning of significant economic fallout.
The number of planes stationed in Germany has dropped from 190 in 2019 to 130 this year, resulting in an estimated loss of 10,000 jobs and 4 billion euros ($4.66 billion) in annual economic value added, BDL said.
"Since 2019, state-imposed costs have more than doubled, and airlines are increasingly avoiding Germany," said BDL President Jens Bischof, urging the government to prioritise post-pandemic recovery in the aviation sector.
The industry has criticised Berlin's decision to postpone a planned reduction in aviation tax, arguing that reversing the May 2024 hike would have signalled support for carriers.
State levies, including taxes, air traffic control fees and security charges, are expected to rise by 1.1 billion to 4.4 billion euros this year, hampering recovery, said BDL.
Passenger numbers rose just 3% in the first half of the year to 99.4 million, far below the 10% growth seen a year earlier.
Germany ranks 28th out of 31 European countries in post-pandemic aviation recovery, with seat capacity at 87% of 2019 levels, compared with a European average of 104%.
($1 = 0.8583 euros)
(Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Miranda Murray)
Airlines are withdrawing aircraft due to soaring state-imposed costs, which have more than doubled since 2019.
The withdrawal of airlines is expected to result in a loss of 10,000 jobs and 4 billion euros in annual economic value.
Germany ranks 28th out of 31 European countries in post-pandemic aviation recovery, with seat capacity at 87% of 2019 levels.
The German Aviation Association has urged the government to prioritize post-pandemic recovery and reconsider the planned increase in aviation tax.
Passenger numbers rose just 3% in the first half of the year to 99.4 million, significantly lower than the 10% growth seen a year earlier.
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