Greek airport operator brushes off charges claim as Ryanair closes base

Budget carrier to shut Thessaloniki station ahead of winter season.

Thessaloniki airport operator Fraport Greece is dismissing budget carrier Ryanair’s claim that airport charges are behind the airline’s decision to close its base at the city, and cut its capacity at Athens.

Ryanair is withdrawing its three based aircraft at Thessaloniki ahead of the winter 2026-27 season.

It attributes the decision to “hopelessly uncompetitive” charges imposed by Fraport Greece, which runs 14 regional airports in the country.

Ryanair claims the Greek government’s 75% cut in the per-passenger airport development fee has largely not been passed on — and that charges at Fraport’s airports, as well as Athens, are rising.

The airline says its cuts will mean the loss of 12 routes — comprising 10 from Thessaloniki and two from Athens.

But Fraport Greece says Ryanair’s decision is “exclusively related” to the carrier’s commercial strategy and profitability considerations.

“Any claims linking this decision to airport charges or the airport development fee imposed by the Greek state are entirely unfounded,’ it adds.

While it says it respects Ryanair’s decisions, and that the airline “remains an important partner”, Fraport Greece points out that it has invested over €100 million ($118 million) to upgrade Thessaloniki.

It adds that it is “fully committed” to a strategy that ensures the airport’s infrastructure is modern and capable of serving growing passenger demand.

Ryanair insists it has “been left with no choice” but to shift the Greek capacity to other countries such as Italy, Sweden and Albania.

Its decision follows a similar move to close its base in Berlin before the winter.