Ryanair announces reduction of flights to Greece - Fraport Greece: Company strategy, not airport fees
Fraport Greece reacted on Friday to Ryanair's announcement of its decision to scale back operations in Greece, and that it will close its Thessaloniki branch during the upcoming winter season.
In a strongly worded statement, the German-owned airport operator described the Irish carrier's arguments as "completely unfounded and entirely pretextual", insisting that the move reflects Ryanair's own commercial strategy and not the airport's pricing policies. It added that allegations about aviation fees and development charges imposed by the Greek state are "baseless", arguing instead that the airline's decisions are driven by profitability and network planning.
The dispute erupted after Ryanair announced in Athens that it would withdraw three aircraft from Thessaloniki and cut 12 routes across Greece, warning of a loss of around 700,000 seats and a projected 45% reduction in winter traffic at the northern airport. The airline also confirmed wider cuts to its Greek network, including the suspension of seasonal operations at its Chania and Heraklion bases in Crete.
Ryanair’s chief commercial officer said the airline previously accounted for around 90% of Thessaloniki’s winter international traffic and accused Fraport Greece of raising airport charges by around 66% compared to pre-pandemic levels. He argued that capacity was being shifted to markets such as Albania, regional Italy and Sweden, where lower fares and policy incentives support winter demand.
Fraport Greece objected, saying that Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia” remains a key hub served by more than 40 airlines, connecting northern Greece with over 90 destinations in 33 countries.
She highlighted investments exceeding 100 million euros in infrastructure improvements and said passenger traffic had increased by around 40% during her management period, describing the airport as structurally improved and capable of handling growing demand.
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