Ryanair to Cut Denmark Flights Over New Aviation Tax

Charlie Denmark Europe Latest Immigration News Living in the UK News & Events Schengen Visa News Schengen Visas Travel UK Visiting UK 8 February 2025 | Updated On February 10, 2025 | 0

Ryanair has announced it will scrap all its routes to Aalborg and Billund in Denmark, citing what it calls a “short-sighted” and “harmful” aviation tax introduced by Danish authorities.

The budget airline currently operates flights from London Stansted to both Aalborg and Billund, as well as routes from Edinburgh and Manchester to Billund, a popular destination thanks to Legoland. However, starting at the end of March 2025, all these flights will be removed from schedules. Ryanair has confirmed that affected staff in Denmark will be offered positions at other bases.

According to Ryanair, the cuts will result in:

A reduction of 1.7 million seats
The loss of 32 routes
The removal of two aircraft from Denmark’s summer 2025 operations

The airline says it will instead focus on “competing EU countries like Sweden, Italy, and Hungary,” which are scrapping aviation taxes to encourage tourism, economic growth, and job creation.

Denmark's new air passenger tax will be an extra charge added to the cost of a flight alongside existing taxes. Governments introduce such fees to encourage travelers to think about the environmental impact of flying and to reduce non-essential air travel.

This isn’t the first time Ryanair has clashed with governments over aviation fees. The airline has a track record of criticizing airport charges and tax policies across Europe. Recently, it was accused of “blackmail” by Spanish airport operator Aena after reducing flights to regional airports over what Ryanair deemed excessive charges.

Is the Tax Really to Blame?

While Ryanair blames Denmark’s new tax, some critics argue that the airline is using the issue as an excuse for business-driven decisions. The tax itself is relatively small—just DKK 50 (€6.70) per passenger. Even if fully passed on to customers, a typical Ryanair ticket starting at £14.99 (€17.09) would still cost less than £20 (€24) which is hardly a dealbreaker for most travellers.

Meanwhile, environmental groups like Stay Grounded support the tax, arguing that curbing air travel growth is necessary. Danish authorities, however, may not be eager to engage in a dispute with Ryanair, especially given that Billund still offers flights to over 80 destinations through carriers like British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, and SAS, while Aalborg serves 40 direct routes.

With Ryanair shifting its focus elsewhere, Denmark’s aviation landscape will see changes, but whether it will significantly impact travellers remains to be seen.

Are you affected with the route cancellation? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

Check out the deals we have found below and tell us your travel plans.

Check out the offers and discounts from:

And because of the pandemic, don’t forget to get your travel insurance, which will cover you for flight disruptions and pandemic related matters.

IaM can help with your visa application to Europe, the United States, the UK & other countries

If you need help with a US visa, a UK Visa, or a visa to Europe, including help with appointment booking obligations, IaM can help. For more information and advice on US immigration, UK immigration law and US visa applications or if you need any help or assistance please, reach out to your Visa Coordinator at IaM.

Some of our posts include affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of these products, we might get a small commission. For more information, check out our TOS.