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Ryanair Threatens UK Flight Reductions Over Proposed Double Tourist Tax

By Drooid · · How we work

Ryanair’s warning to the UK government

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary told Mayor Andy Burnham the airline will cut UK capacity for summer 2026 if the Labour government adds a visitor levy to the existing Air Passenger Duty (APD).

Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights RYANAIR LAUNCHES RECORD NEW UK W’26 SCHEDULE, CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF APD TO AVOID DOUBLE TAXATION OF VISITORS GIVEN LABOUR’S NEW “VISITOR TAX” WalesOnline

Visitor-tax background and Labour’s proposal

APD was raised in April from £13 to £15 for short-haul economy flights. Labour’s plan would let regional mayors impose an additional levy on overnight accommodation, creating what Ryanair calls a “double tax” on tourists. The airline says this would make the UK the most expensive entry point for families and price-sensitive travellers in Europe.

RYANAIR LAUNCHES RECORD NEW UK W’26 SCHEDULE, CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF APD TO AVOID DOUBLE TAXATION OF VISITORS GIVEN LABOUR’S NEW “VISITOR TAX”

Key data and figures

  • Ryanair’s winter-2026 schedule, to launch on September 23, will list 435 UK routes, including new services from Stansted to Glasgow, Malmö and Parma and from Luton to Venice, plus 18 new routes from other UK airports.
RYANAIR LAUNCHES RECORD NEW UK W’26 SCHEDULE, CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF APD TO AVOID DOUBLE TAXATION OF VISITORS GIVEN LABOUR’S NEW “VISITOR TAX”
  • The carrier projects 63 million passengers to/from the UK in 2026 and aims to grow UK traffic by 27 % to 80 million passengers by 2030 if APD is abolished.
RYANAIR LAUNCHES RECORD NEW UK W’26 SCHEDULE, CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF APD TO AVOID DOUBLE TAXATION OF VISITORS GIVEN LABOUR’S NEW “VISITOR TAX”
  • Ryanair claims scrapping APD could enable 30 new aircraft, 200 new routes and the hiring of 10,000 workers in the UK.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights

Official statements and responses

  • O’Leary called on Chancellor John Healy to abolish APD.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights
  • The Department for Transport declined comment on NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe after recent technical outages.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights
  • NATS said its system has been stable and operating at full capacity since Monday lunchtime.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights

Verbatim quotes

  • “We are still growing in the UK this year, but if the government doubles visitor taxes with a visitor levy, I suspect we will be taking capacity out of the UK for the summer of 2026.” — Michael O’Leary, chief executive, Ryanair
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights
  • “The system is stable and we have been running at full capacity since lunchtime Monday. We are extremely sorry for the disruption this caused for everyone who has been affected.” — NATS, chair
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights

Conflicting reports and gaps

  • Ryanair’s demand for APD abolition has not received an official response from the Burnham administration or the Chancellor’s office.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights

What’s next

  • Chancellor John Healey (referred to as John Healy in Ryanair’s statement) is expected to outline fiscal priorities at the Budget on October 28.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights
  • Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will meet Sir Warren East, chair of NATS, to discuss the future of Martin Rolfe’s leadership.
Ryanair tells Burnham: Slash taxes or we’ll cut UK flights

These developments will determine whether Ryanair maintains its growth trajectory in the UK or reallocates capacity to lower-tax destinations across Europe.

RYANAIR LAUNCHES RECORD NEW UK W’26 SCHEDULE, CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF APD TO AVOID DOUBLE TAXATION OF VISITORS GIVEN LABOUR’S NEW “VISITOR TAX”