Ryanair vs. government over municipal surcharge increase on non-EU flights

Ryanair against the government: ’Take an example from Calabria’. Yes, it’s not artificial intelligence fake news: the airline pioneer of low-cost flights has lashed out at Giorgia Meloni’s government over an article contained in the Budget Maneuver that provides from April 1, 2025 for a 0.5 euro per passenger increase in the municipal surtax for non-EU flights for airports that exceed 10 million passengers a year. This measure was judged without half words by Irish carrier CEO Eddie Wilson, who accused the government’s decision of being “short-sighted and regressive,” not only: “This illogical decision to increase the municipal surtax, together with the failure to remove the flight limit at Ciampino, will be particularly damaging to Rome, where airlines, such as Ryanair, will be forced to reduce capacity precisely in view of the Jubilee.”

The airline’s concern, therefore, is that Rome will be adversely affected in that those who want to come (and thus depart) to the capital of Christendom from countries outside the European Union for the atonement of all their sins may desist in the face of paying airport taxes. Going to see specifically which of these states are reachable with Ryanair from the airports affected by the 50-cent fee (Fiumicino plus 6 other airports: Malpensa, Bergamo, Naples, Venice, Catania, Bologna) are Albania, Israel, Morocco, Jordan, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey and Bosnia. Eight countries of which five have Islam as the most prevalent religion and one is the Jewish state.

But the statement goes on and raises: “Ryanair calls on the Italian government,” supported by parties that have always been against the introduction of new taxes or increased tax pressure, “to revoke this short-sighted decision and instead abolish the regressive municipal surtax at all Italian airports, just as the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Calabria regions have done. This would allow Italian airports to benefit from rapid growth in traffic, tourism and jobs in the coming years, as Ryanair would respond with a $4 billion investment in Italy, adding 40 new aircraft, more than 20 million passengers a year on 250 new routes and more than 1,500 jobs in Italian regions.”

In the statement, the airline, in addition to modeling itself after Calabria and Friuli Venezia Giulia, also urges people to look at what other "European countries are doing, such as Sweden, Hungary, Ireland and Poland, which are abolishing aviation taxes or reducing access fees to promote traffic growth. The only way to stimulate traffic growth is to have low fares, which in turn require competitive access costs. All Italy has to do is look to Calabria and Friuli Venezia Giulia to figure out how to grow connectivity, tourism and employment: both of these regions have made the decision to abolish the municipal surtax and, as a result, Ryanair has put in place a super-boosted growth plan that includes 50 percent growth in traffic, 3 new based aircraft and 15 new routes in Calabria, 1 new based aircraft and 7 new routes in Friuli Venezia Giulia."

But let’s see exactly which airports will be affected by the increase in the municipal surcharge on boarding fees of 50 cents per passenger: the increase will be applicable only on flights with states outside the European Union departing from Italian airports that have more than 10 million annual passengers. The technical report attached to the Manoeuvre estimates higher annual revenues of about 5.33 million euros in 2025 and 8 million in 2026 to benefit the municipalities where the airport is located. But which airports are affected? According to the 2023 numbers, there are seven: Rome Fiumicino with 40.5 million passengers, Milan Malpensa with 26.1 million, Bergamo with 16 million, Naples with 12.4 million, Venice with 11.3 million, Catania with 10 .7 million, and Bologna with 10 million followed by Milan Linate with 9.4 million, which could fall into the category if it exceeds the threshold this year with another 600,000 passengers. The municipal surtax varies from city to city, and in Rome it is 7.50 euros, in Naples 8.50 while in Venice there is the highest at 9 euros. With the further increase it will reach almost 10 euros.

Ryanair vs. government over municipal surcharge increase on non-EU flights

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