"Our winter schedule will be 40 percent smaller because Tallinn Airport is increasing its airport charges by 70 percent," Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness said at a press conference in Tallinn.

The affected routes are Milan Bergamo, Paphos, Rome Ciampino, Venice Treviso and Vienna.

McGuinness said he would like to think Ryanair will not shut down all its routes from Tallinn in the future, but the Estonian capital represents only a very small contribution for the airline. "Do we want to pull out of Tallinn? No. But if airport charges continue to rise, then probably yes," he said.

"The current plan is not to pull out completely," he added.

Ryanair announced the suspension of these routes, from April through October, already in February.

Tallinn Airport: No further fee hikes in the next two years

Tallinn Airport's CCO Eero Pärgmäe told ERR that since Ryanair had already announced the temporary closure of those routes back in February, the airport had not expected them to reopen for the winter season. However, Pärgmäe said he was puzzled by Ryanair's claim of a 70 percent increase in airport fees.

"That is definitely not correct. You would have to ask them what their calculations are based on," Pärgmäe said.

"The airport has not announced any fee increases this year. Quite the opposite — just a month ago, we held our annual user committee with all airport operators, including Ryanair, where we announced that we have no plans to raise airport charges at the end of 2025, nor in 2026 or 2027. The last change in airport fees was introduced in the spring, when we established a security charge of about three euros to cover direct costs. We communicated that to our users already last September. So, these changes have been known well in advance and were implemented transparently," Pärgmäe explained.

"The consultation process for airport charges is defined by law. It takes place every September, when all airport users gather for a meeting and receive the materials in advance. The charges are regulated by law and methodology, so the consultation process is very strictly prescribed. Our last discussion with Ryanair about routes took place on Friday — with different representatives than those at today's press conference — and it was conducted in a very friendly atmosphere. So today's press conference was quite surprising," Pärgmäe added.

According to Pärgmäe, Ryanair's market share at Tallinn Airport is 12 percent.

"Pressure and scare tactics are Ryanair's standard practice"

Tallinn Airport said in a press release that Ryanair has used public pressure and intimidation tactics in several European countries.

"We have seen the same pattern of behavior recently in Latvia, as well as in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and elsewhere, where the company threatens to shut down routes to pressure airports or countries into granting discounts or subsidies," the statement read.

The airport also noted that despite Ryanair's rhetoric, passenger numbers at Tallinn Airport are steadily increasing, and the number of destinations is good, considering the size and location of the Estonian market.

"Even now, we see that the number of tickets on sale for 2026 will be higher than in 2025," said Margot Holts, head of marketing and communications.

"Our goal is not to yield to economic pressure from a single company, but to ensure that the airport develops sustainably and serves the interests of Estonia's economy and passengers as a whole. Today's announcement from Ryanair is yet another attempt to divert public attention from the facts and to unjustifiably create a negative image of Tallinn Airport. In reality, Ryanair's claims are not driven by concern for Estonia's connectivity and competitiveness, but by a desire to increase its own profits," Holts commented.

Wizz Air expanding routes

While Ryanair is closing routes, Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air is opening new connections.

Earlier this week, the company announced new routes to Vilnius, Lithuania and Gdansk, Poland.

The airline already flies to London and will also launch flights Krakow at the end of October and Venice in December. This means Ryanair's dropped Venice connection will be replaced.

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