Ryanair has confirmed it has cancelled all flights to Aalborg in Denmark from the end of March and there is also a question mark over the future of its flights from the UK to Billund, another Danish city.
In an online post, Ryanair said it was closing its two-aircraft base at Billund, and flights to the popular Danish city are not currently available to book from the end of next month.
Currently, Ryanair flies to both Aalborg and to Billund from London Stansted, and it also flies to Billund, the home of Legoland, from Edinburgh and Manchester.
It is the only airline flying direct to Aalborg from the UK, while British Airways is the only other carrier offering non-stop flights from the UK to Billund.
Ryanair said it was axing flights to Aalborg and closing its Billund base ‘in response to the (Danish) Government’s short-sighted decision to introduce an aviation tax of up to DKK 50 per departing passenger from January 2025, coupled with Billund’s failure to agree a competitive long-term agreement’.
The tax is equal to about £5.55.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed to announce the closure of our two aircraft Billund base and our operations at Aalborg from the end of March, but we have been left with no other choice following the Danish Govt’s short-sighted decision to introduce a harmful aviation tax from January 2025.
“Ryanair is the only major airline growing in Europe, and cost is the main factor when deciding where to allocate aircraft and growth. Unfortunately, this harmful aviation tax makes Denmark (especially regional Denmark) hopelessly uncompetitive compared to other EU countries, like Sweden, Hungary, and Italian regions, who are abolishing aviation taxes to stimulate traffic recovery and growth.”
