German aviation lobby urges halving €35 passenger tax as carriers avoid airports

Germany’s leading airline lobby is pressing for an immediate cut to the country’s air passenger tax, saying recovery has stalled and carriers are shifting planes out of the market. The German Aviation Association (BDL) wants the roughly €35 per‑passenger levy halved, arguing that point‑to‑point operators are “avoiding” German airports after cost hikes. As of August 12, 2025, no reduction has been enacted, and industry reports say a promised rollback has been postponed in planning for the 2026 federal budget.

BDL President Jens Bischof, who also heads Eurowings, said airlines are “withdrawing their aircraft and deploying them in other European countries with competitive cost levels” and stressed the tax “must” be halved to restore Germany’s position. FlightGlobal reported on August 12 that European point‑to‑point operators have 30% fewer aircraft based in Germany than in 2019—down from 190 to 130—a shift BDL links to state‑regulated costs and weak market signals. The association warns each based aircraft supports about 170 jobs and €70 million in GDP.

Current levy and banding

The current levy applies to every passenger departing from a German airport. Following the May 2024 increase, the commonly cited band levels are:

• €15.53 for short‑haul
• €38.72–€39.34 for medium‑haul
• €70.83 for long‑haul

BDL and airport operators say these charges, together with other regulated fees, weigh on demand and route planning. Fraport, which runs Frankfurt, has directly pointed to the air passenger tax as a drag on recovery.

Important: As of the latest reports, no enacted reduction has occurred and the proposed rollback is not included in the 2026 draft budget.

Budget stance and stalled rollback

Travel trade reporting on August 1 said the Merz government’s planned aviation tax rollback will not appear in the 2026 federal budget, citing tight public finances. Despite earlier commitments to reverse the 2024 increase, ministries have prioritized defense and infrastructure outlays, and officials have not identified offsets for the several hundred million euros per year that a reversal would forgo.

Key points:

• Coalition signals in late July suggested a desire to reduce the levy in the 2026 framework, consistent with prior pledges, but that intention did not carry into the draft budget.
• Public comments since April 2025 remain supportive of easing air‑specific taxes in principle, but fiscal guidance now points to no near‑term cut.
• Relief has been pushed beyond 2026 unless the budget picture changes.

Christoph Ploß, the federal tourism coordinator from the CDU, warned that high taxes are hurting airports and urged rolling back the increase and lowering airport charges to keep flights affordable and maintain regional links.

Industry groups reacted sharply to the postponement. BDL says the delay squanders growth at a sensitive moment, when other European markets have already exceeded pre‑pandemic levels. According to the association, German airport recovery “virtually came to a standstill” in the first half of 2025, while peers elsewhere in Europe continued to grow.

Industry impact and connectivity risks

Traffic numbers underline the problem:

• Frankfurt: 61.6 million passengers in 2024, down 12.7% from 2019.
• Munich: 41.6 million passengers in 2024, down 13.1% from 2019.
• Flights between Germany and other European countries: about 1.1 million annually, roughly 20% below 2019.
• Domestic flying: “significantly weaker,” at under half of 2019 levels (including feeder services into Frankfurt and Munich).

BDL ties these trends to Germany’s higher state‑regulated site costs—led by the air passenger tax, plus security and air traffic control fees—which it says push airlines to place aircraft in lower‑cost EU markets. Low‑cost and leisure carriers have trimmed capacity in recent months, citing costs, and airports warn thinner feeder and point‑to‑point traffic hurts hub competitiveness.

BDL’s proposed remedy is clear: halve the per‑passenger tax now to slow withdrawals and give airlines a reason to base more aircraft in Germany next summer.

Fiscal trade‑offs and industry arguments

• The fiscal case for the 2024 hike centered on climate and budget goals, with annual proceeds around €1.9 billion.
• The industry counters that the revenue isn’t ring‑fenced for climate investments and that weakened connectivity risks a larger economic loss in jobs, tourism, and export‑led sectors.
• BDL’s job and GDP multipliers (about 170 jobs and €70 million per based aircraft) are used to quantify the trade‑off.

For travelers, the practical effects include higher ticket costs and fewer direct routes, especially on thinner intra‑EU and domestic city pairs. That can mean longer trips, more connections, and less flexibility for families, students, and small businesses.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, travelers who plan cross‑border trips watch such cost changes closely because departure taxes are charged per passenger on outbound tickets and can affect trip budgets for group travel.

Policy options and likely outcomes

Government officials and industry largely agree on the goal—stronger connectivity and affordable fares—but differ on the order of moves. Tourism advocates seek both a tax rollback and cuts to airport charges. BDL also supports trimming airport charges but prioritizes the air passenger tax as an immediate lever.

Options being discussed include:

1. Partial rollback that would drop the average burden to roughly €17–€18 per passenger.
2. A broader package that also trims security and air traffic control (ATC) fees.

Without relief, industry groups expect:

• Continued redeployment of aircraft to lower‑cost markets.
• Selective route cuts.
• Germany’s recovery remaining below the EU average into 2026.

Wider European context and local effects

Several EU states have adjusted aviation levies in recent years. Carriers say Germany’s rates sit among the higher bands, which influences where airlines place limited aircraft for peak season. When a plane moves from a German base to a lower‑cost market, the ripple effect touches local jobs and suppliers—from ground handlers and maintenance shops to catering and retail in terminals.

Impacts felt by individuals and smaller regions:

• Families, students, and workers lose affordable short‑haul options (e.g., fewer early‑morning departures or weekend routes).
• For airports in smaller cities, losing a based aircraft can be the difference between keeping a route year‑round or only in peak season.

Official information and next steps

Official information on the Luftverkehrsteuer, including liability and current banding, is published by the German customs authority (Zoll). Readers can review the government’s guidance here: https://www.zoll.de/EN/Businesses/Movement-of-goods/Transport/Passenger-transport/Air-transportation/air-transportation_node.html.

For now, the facts are stark:

• No enacted reduction to the air passenger tax is in force.
• The 2024 hike remains.
• The draft course for 2026 offers no tax relief.

BDL, airports, and carriers continue to press for change, arguing a lower tax would bring back aircraft, routes, and the jobs tied to them. Whether budget politics leave room for that cut—this year or next—will decide how quickly Germany can reconnect with the rest of Europe and the world.