Ryanair Slashes French Flights as Airline Tax Soars, Sparking Competitiveness Concerns

The tax on airline tickets or TSBA forces Ryanair to stop its operations at the airports of Bergerac (Dordogne), Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze) and Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin). "This astronomical tax makes France less competitive compared to other EU countries like Ireland, Spain or Poland, which do not impose any air tax," the Irish group justified in a press release. The low-cost airline also announces a 13% reduction in its capacity in France for this winter.

Applicable since March 1st, the tax on airline tickets or TSBA has increased from 2.63 euros to 7.4 euros for domestic and European flights. This revaluation of the TSBA is part of the government’s 2025 budget. The French State expects this increase to bring in 800 to 850 million euros.

New taxes for the aviation sector as part of the 2026 budget? The Minister in charge of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, expresses his opposition. "I am part of a government that is looking for 40 billion euros" for next year’s budget, he had said on franceinfo. However, he had called for "vigilance" regarding the introduction of new taxes "that will be counterproductive and will slow down the economic activity of our country".