Germany Publishes Draft to Cut Air Travel Tax From July 2026
Passengers may see little change because airlines are not required to pass the cut through to fares.
Overview
- The Finance Ministry’s draft lowers the levy per ticket to €13.03 on short-haul, €33.01 on medium-haul, and €59.43 on long-haul flights starting July 1, 2026.
- The proposal benchmarks reductions against pre‑May 2024 statutory rates rather than the lower 2024 ordinance levels sought by industry groups.
- Ryanair accuses the government of breaking its pledge to return to the actually applied 2024 rates, while the BDL welcomes the cut but urges further relief on costs.
- Fiscal impact is put at about €185 million this year, rising to roughly €355 million by 2030, with offsetting savings planned from 2027 in the Transport Ministry budget.
- Lower taxes do not guarantee cheaper tickets, and elevated fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict are pressuring airline margins.