Ryanair Cuts at French Regions: Will More Route Reductions Follow?

(STRASBOURG) Ryanair will slash its winter 2025/26 schedule across French regional airports, removing an estimated 750,000 seats, cancelling 25 routes, and fully pulling out of Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg. The airline announced the changes on July 30, 2025, and tied the move directly to France’s 180% increase in the air ticket tax that took effect in March 2025. The cuts represent a 13% reduction in Ryanair’s overall capacity in France this winter, with a much deeper drop across smaller airports where low-cost traffic keeps routes alive during the colder months.

The withdrawal from Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg ends all remaining winter flights to and from these airports, including links to the UK, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium. Some larger airports will also feel the squeeze, though not as sharply: Marseille (-9% seats), Paris-Beauvais (-8%), and Toulouse (-4%). Across smaller hubs, Ryanair’s winter seat capacity falls by an average 27%, amplifying fears about fragile local air networks built over years around cost-sensitive carriers.

Ryanair argues that the steep tax jump makes thin winter routes unworkable, and says it will shift aircraft to countries that have cut or restrained air travel taxes. The carrier has pointed to recent steps in Sweden, Hungary, and Italy that it says support network growth. The French government has not signaled any reversal, and as of September 1, 2025, there’s no official response addressing Ryanair’s latest pullback.

Airport leaders in affected areas worry about more than a seasonal dip. In southwest France, stakeholders recall Ryanair’s earlier closure of its Bordeaux base in November 2024, an exit that rippled into 2025: passenger numbers at Bordeaux dropped 14.4% in the first half of 2025, according to airport traffic data cited by local officials. The fear now is a longer, deeper contraction across other regional platforms if more carriers follow Ryanair’s lead or if further cuts arrive next summer.

Ryanair’s history with French airports is not simple. Its commercial deals and incentives have faced scrutiny, including European Union decisions ordering the airline to repay certain benefits to airports. Those disputes added tension to relationships in regions where Ryanair provided a large share of traffic. Still, many local authorities argue that, whatever the disagreements, the service itself has been a lifeline—bringing tourists, connecting families, and offering small businesses a budget path to European markets. As one local business owner in Alsace put it this week, “A route lost in winter can become a route lost for good.”

Policy shock and airline response

The 180% increase in France’s air ticket tax, introduced in March, landed just as airlines were locking in their winter schedules. In the low-demand months, route performance is especially sensitive to small shifts in fares and taxes. Ryanair says the hike pushed many regional services—often already tight on margins—past their break-even point.

The airline’s public line is simple: high taxes and airport charges force aircraft toward markets where growth is rewarded and risk is lower. In raw numbers, the company’s latest changes align with this calculus: 25 routes cancelled and a targeted exit from Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg, where the airline says winter demand can’t absorb higher costs.

Across the broader map, Marseille, Paris-Beauvais, and Toulouse face measured reductions that still leave some options in place. But the headline is the wave of removals at smaller airfields, where Ryanair’s presence often accounts for a large share of total seats.

Regional officials, especially in Dordogne and Corrèze, have sounded the alarm. The President of the Bergerac Chamber of Commerce warned that the airport’s long-term viability could be at stake if alternatives don’t materialize. Airport management teams in other regions are looking at schedule reshuffles, but many admit privately they do not have quick stand-ins with comparable capacity.

French regional airports built their international reach largely through low-cost carriers; replacing those volumes in a single season is rare. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the pullback underscores how tax design can shape travel patterns in ways that hit smaller communities first. When a fare bump makes a short leisure break more expensive, customers often skip the trip or move to a bigger, cheaper airport with more competition.

Ryanair’s announcement also references ongoing comparisons with countries that reduced levies to spark post-pandemic recovery. While each market sets taxes for its own policy goals, industry analysts say the latest French increase is among the sharpest in Europe and appears to be steering aircraft away from less dense parts of the country. Whether other carriers will fill the gap remains unclear; several aviation analysts say they do not expect quick replacements at the scale removed.

What this means for travelers and regions

For passengers, the most immediate effect is fewer direct options and, in some cases, none at all. People who usually fly from Bergerac, Brive, or Strasbourg in winter will likely need to:

• Drive or take rail to a larger airport, then fly
• Switch to carriers with indirect routings, often with longer travel times
• Pay higher fares on remaining nonstop services, if available

Ryanair says affected customers will receive email notices and can seek rebooking, refunds, or alternate arrangements per EU rules. Travelers should watch their inboxes and booking portals closely—especially those with holiday plans.

Important: If your flight is cancelled, you do not need to accept a voucher; you can ask for a cash refund or a re-route as set out under EU Regulation 261/2004.

For authoritative guidance on your rights when flights are cancelled or changed, consult the European Commission passenger rights page: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights_en. Keep records of all notices, screenshots of schedules, and receipts for related costs.

Families who relied on direct UK links from these three airports will feel the disruption most. Weekend visits may turn into overnight trips. Students and seasonal workers may need to budget more time and money to reach campus or job sites. Small firms that depend on quick hops for meetings may shift to video calls or concentrate travel through a handful of larger airports.

Airports themselves face a sharp hit. A sudden loss of seats typically dents retail income, parking, and third-party services. When traffic falls, it also becomes harder to secure new airlines, because carriers want proof of steady demand before they commit aircraft. Local economies can then feel the knock-on effects:

• Fewer visitors for rural guesthouses
• Thinner shoulder-season bookings for restaurants
• Weaker demand for car hire and taxis
• Less exposure for regional events seeking international crowds

Some regional councils may consider incentives to attract replacement capacity, but tight budgets and State aid rules limit how far they can go. Airport managers will likely lean on tour operators and niche carriers to salvage a handful of winter rotations to the most resilient markets. On domestic links, high-speed rail offers a reliable alternative in parts of France, though it does not replace international air connectivity to the UK, Ireland, or North Africa.

What happens next

As of early September, Ryanair has given no timeline for restoring the cancelled routes or returning to Bergerac, Brive, or Strasbourg for the 2026 summer season. Company statements suggest the tax environment will guide where capacity goes in the medium term. If policy holds, more French regional airports could see thinner schedules next winter as airlines finalize their planning cycles months in advance.

Industry watchers say a wider shakeout is possible if other low-cost carriers decide the economics no longer work. The changes at Marseille, Paris-Beauvais, and Toulouse hint at a broader recalibration. While the reductions there are smaller, they show that even large markets are not immune when cost pressures rise.

Practical steps for passengers:

1. Check your booking status weekly if you’re flying to or from a French regional airport this winter.
2. If you receive a cancellation notice, act quickly to secure re-routing before the cheapest options go.
3. Consider alternate airports within a two- to three-hour radius and compare total travel time, not just fare price.
4. Keep an eye on airport announcements; a handful of replacement flights may appear closer to peak dates.

Ryanair’s critics argue the airline is using the tax issue to reshape its network in France after previous disputes, and note the ongoing investigations into incentives at certain airports. Supporters counter that the numbers tell the story: when taxes jump, marginal winter routes vanish. Both views can be true at once. What matters for residents is whether any carrier can profitably fly thin routes in winter under the current rules.

The stakes extend beyond tourism. Reliable air links help students join exchange programs, allow families to keep ties across borders, and support regional exporters who need face-to-face contact to close deals. When those links fade, communities feel smaller. That’s why this winter’s cuts are drawing such a strong response from local chambers and mayors, even if national policymakers prioritize other goals with the tax increase.

With no sign of a policy shift, airport planners are preparing for a cautious winter. The broader lesson, analysts say, is that French regional airports remain highly exposed to decisions made far from their terminals. Taxes, jet fuel costs, and aircraft allocation choices have immediate, human consequences. If the market stabilizes, some routes might return in summer, when demand is stronger. But there’s no guarantee.

Ryanair has been clear: if costs stay high, investment goes elsewhere. For travelers, that means adjusting plans early. For airports, it means tightening belts and courting every possible flight. And for the communities around Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg, it means staring at an unusually quiet winter sky and waiting to see whether spring brings any relief.