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Aviation in Germany: High taxes severely slow down growth!
Nuremberg is struggling with high air transport costs and slow passenger growth. Industry demands for tax reforms are increasing.
Aviation in Germany: High taxes severely slow down growth!
The aviation industry in Germany is struggling with significant challenges. Not only is there a lack of business travelers, but also rising location costs are slowing the recovery of air traffic compared to other European countries. The Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) highlights the problems with high taxes, which represent a clear competitive disadvantage in Germany. Joachim Lang, General Manager of the BDL, points out that passenger numbers in Germany are increasing more slowly and takes a critical look at the location costs, which now make up around a third of the ticket price. Loud BR The number of passengers in Germany will reach 211.9 million in 2024 - this corresponds to only 85% of the pre-crisis level in 2019.
A comparison with other European countries shows that only Finland, Slovenia and Sweden are loud BR perform worse. The importance of domestic German flights has decreased for many airlines because the air traffic tax applies twice for these flights. The focus is particularly on low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, which can base their aircraft outside of Germany and fly from there.
Study on location costs
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) carried out a comprehensive analysis of location costs in German air traffic on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). The DLR study confirms that location costs in Germany increased by 38% between 2019 and 2024, while the European average is only 26%. In addition to high taxes and fees, the weak economic situation is also one of the factors contributing to the slow recovery of air traffic in Germany.
The ongoing decline in business trips and changing travel habits, with many travelers switching to trains, are particularly problematic. There are also structural changes in the aviation market, which further complicates the situation. State Secretary Stefan Schnorr emphasizes that well-functioning connections are essential for Germany as an export nation and identifies measures to strengthen the industry.
Recommendations for action
The results of the BMDV study propose to reduce or even eliminate aviation tax for intra-European flights, which could lead to an increase of up to 5 million passengers. Furthermore, the focus should be on increasing efficiency at airports and air traffic control as well as competitive measures to promote new market participants.
In order to strengthen Germany's competitiveness, a uniform Europe-wide aviation tax would be a sensible means of counteracting national competitive disadvantages. The discussion about the high location costs is also loud at local levels, for example at Nuremberg Airport. It is hoped that measures will be taken to reduce costs in order to further increase passenger numbers. Despite the current difficulties, the airport is optimistic for 2023 and expects an increase to around 4.4 million passengers, up from around 4 million in 2022.
Overall, it remains to be seen how political decision-makers will adapt to the extensive problems in German air traffic and whether necessary measures will be taken to strengthen the location.