Ryanair reduces the number of flights from Riga: routes to several destinations, including Paris, Edinburgh, and Cologne, are canceled from the winter season. The reason is tax policy and a strategy review.
The budget airline Ryanair is significantly reducing its presence in Riga, starting from the winter flight season (late October – early November). Direct flights from the capital of Latvia will no longer be operated to the following destinations:
• Aarhus (Denmark), • Paris Beauvais (France), • Memmingen (Germany), • Gdansk (Poland), • Girona (Spain), • Gothenburg (Sweden), • Edinburgh (United Kingdom).
The closure of routes to Memmingen (as well as the non-resumption of flights to Berlin) is part of a broader strategy by Ryanair to reduce operations in Germany. The company reiterated that the reason is the high aviation taxes and air traffic management fees in that country.
This decision reduces the availability of cheap direct flights between Riga and regional German cities. According to reports, the last flight to Memmingen will take place on October 23, just before the winter schedule comes into effect.
Everything is clear with Germany, but what is wrong with France, Spain, Poland?… It seems that the problems need to be sought in Latvia. More precisely, in its small population. Sources note that Ryanair plans to redirect planes to countries with a more favorable tax environment, such as Italy and Poland.
Although some routes, such as Girona, are traditionally seasonal, flights to Paris Beauvais and Edinburgh were previously planned as year-round. Their cessation raises questions about the future role of Riga in Ryanair's strategy. It remains unclear which of the canceled destinations will return to the schedule in spring or summer 2026.
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