Domestic flights in Germany are expected to stay significantly below pre-pandemic levels, as overall air traffic continues to decline, according to an analysis released Thursday by the aviation industry association BDL
Flight schedules through the first six months of 2025 include just 50% as many seats on domestic flights in Germany as compared to 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.
The overall number of seats on flights to and from Germany scheduled from January to June 2025 is 86% of the pre-pandemic level, according to BDL.
Flights from Germany to other European destinations now have 91% of the pre-pandemic number of seats, while flights to other continents stand at 96%.
Outside Germany, the number of seats on offer in Europe is now 7% higher than pre-crisis levels.
Airlines, airports and industry lobby groups have blamed the slump on a sharp rise in taxes and fees.
Airports in the German cities of Dresden (down 49% compared to 2019), Stuttgart (down 70%) and Berlin (down 70%) have seen flight capacity drop particularly sharply.
Smaller regional airports used by budget carrier Ryanair, meanwhile, have seen a boom in capacity compared to 2019. The Irish low-cost airline is increasingly flying to smaller airports, where the high taxes and fees are at least partially offset by lower handling costs.
The boom is led by the small town of Memmingen, about 115 kilometres west of Munich, which is scheduled for 197% more flight seats than in 2019.
