French airports warn of further route cuts, putting regional Morocco links at risk
French airports fear further route cuts following tax increases planned in the 2027 budget. The warning concerns regional services, some of which allow Moroccans in France to travel to the kingdom without going through major hubs.
The finance bill presented on 1 October has angered airport operators. “We are stunned,” their representative Thomas Juin told Le Monde. The president of the Union of French Airports (UAF) had expected at least a tax freeze after the increase in the solidarity tax on airline tickets that took effect in 2025.
The new budget provides for two additional measures. The maximum rate of the tax on the operation of major transport infrastructure would rise from 4.6% to 12.2%. For small regional airports, the cap on the charge used to fund security and safety would increase from 20 to 22 euros per passenger, the UAF said in its 2 October statement.
These levies affect different players, but airport operators fear they will further undermine the economics of air routes. Low-cost airlines can move their aircraft to other countries when a route’s revenues no longer sufficiently cover its costs.
Ryanair had already cited French taxes in July 2025 when it announced a 13% cut in its winter capacity, the removal of 750,000 seats and the cancellation of 25 routes. Its withdrawal from Strasbourg affected Agadir in particular, a route that Volotea later decided to take over.
Families in Clermont-Ferrand have already lost their flight to Fès
For travellers to Morocco, these decisions have tangible consequences. Since Ryanair left Clermont-Ferrand in March 2026, the direct route to Fès has disappeared. Moroccan families in Auvergne must now travel to Lyon or Toulouse, or choose a journey by boat.
The cancellation prompted a petition that gathered more than a thousand signatures. One family interviewed by Radio Scoop said it had gone from making four trips to Morocco a year to just one. Travelling to another airport adds costs and several hours on the road to the price of the ticket.
On Bladi.net : Deprived of direct flights to Morocco, they must travel hundreds of kilometers across France
The treatment of Strasbourg has further fuelled their anger. The budget provides for an exemption from the solidarity tax to protect its service against competition from neighbouring airports. The UAF is calling for other regions to receive the same consideration and demanding that the increase in the security and safety charge be dropped.
