**Ryanair announced on April 24, 2026, that it will close its base at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) effective October 24, 2026.** The seven aircraft currently stationed in Berlin will be redeployed to bases in Sweden, Italy, Albania, and Slovakia, where taxes and airport charges have been reduced. The airline's winter 2026-2027 schedule from Berlin will be cut by 50%, with about ten routes eliminated and annual seat capacity dropping from 4.5 million to 2.2 million. However, Berlin will still be served by aircraft based outside Germany, following Ryanair's typical model of quickly adjusting capacity based on local cost conditions. **Ryanair attributes the decision to a "dramatic" increase in access costs at BER since the pandemic.** According to the airline, airport charges have risen by approximately 50% since 2019, with an additional 10% increase planned for 2027-2029. Meanwhile, passenger traffic at BER remains 27% below pre-COVID levels. Ryanair had already reduced its BER capacity by 20% in 2024, from nine to seven aircraft, in response to a 24% hike in Germany's federal air travel tax and rising navigation and security fees. During a press conference in Berlin, CEO Eddie Wilson and CCO Jason McGuinness criticized the airport's management and Germany's regulatory framework, noting that other carriers like Lufthansa, easyJet, and Norwegian have also cut capacity in Berlin. **Wilson labeled BER a "white elephant," calling it "the worst airport in Europe for post-pandemic recovery."** He argued that the airport operates well below its theoretical capacity yet continues to raise fees instead of lowering them to stimulate demand. Ryanair also criticized the night curfew at BER, which limits aircraft utilization and undermines the ultra-low-cost model. McGuinness stated that these constraints, combined with high charges, make Berlin far less competitive than comparable hubs in central and northern Europe. **This closure marks Ryanair's fourth base shutdown in Germany since the pandemic,** following withdrawals from Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig. Since 2019, the airline has reduced its aircraft based in Germany by about 20, reallocating them to markets with lower costs and taxes. Approximately 210 pilots and cabin crew based in Berlin will be affected, but Ryanair has offered them positions at other bases across its European network. The airline left the door open for a potential return to BER if airport management and German authorities adjust their pricing policies to become more competitive. This move reflects Ryanair's strategy of shifting capacity to countries with favorable fiscal and regulatory conditions, such as Sweden, which plans to abolish its air travel tax.