Airlines are canceling more than 300,000 flights in Germany

Germany's airports have recorded a dramatic decline in flights and flight connections in recent years. While air traffic is growing in almost all other European countries, according to information from WELT AM SONNTAG, more than 35 million seats have been removed from flight schedules at German airports. Business associations are reacting with alarm and fearing significant impacts on industries and companies that are particularly dependent on international connections.

According to a comprehensive analysis by the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL), which is available exclusively to WELT AM SONNTAG, the loss of connectivity affects all 26 relevant commercial airports in the country. Since 2019, airlines in this country have canceled 473 previously regularly offered flight connections, while only 349 have been added. In addition, the airlines massively reduced the frequency on many important routes. The bottom line is that the number of flights fell from 1.7 to under 1.4 million - a decrease of 300,000 flights or 18 percent.

BER is particularly hard hit by flight cancellations

Berlin's capital airport, from which the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair largely withdrew a week ago, is particularly badly affected. According to BDL, BER lost 28 percent of its flights compared to pre-Corona levels and lost previously heavily frequented direct connections such as those to Turin and Singapore. Airports in North Rhine-Westphalia and Northern Germany also shrank significantly. Only a few small provincial airports were able to record increases.

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From the aviation industry's perspective, the declining flight supply is the direct result of the high taxes and fees on flights, which have doubled since 2019 and are well above the level of neighboring European countries. In fact, Germany was one of the only three countries in Europe - alongside Austria and Iceland - in which the number of flights continued to shrink in the first half of 2026. Air traffic is recovering everywhere else, with double-digit growth rates in some cases.