Ryanair has shared that it will be cutting back on domestic flights within Greece. Nikolaos Lardis, the airline’s marketing manager for the Eastern Mediterranean, explained that the current airport fees at most Greek airports only make it feasible to operate peak-season international routes during the summer.
Starting from June 1st, Ryanair will be moving planes from Athens and Chania to bases in Germany, where they are expanding their services. This transfer means that the airline’s base in Chania will shut down. Ryanair will still maintain its Athens routes to and from Santorini, Mykonos, and Thessaloniki this summer, but all other domestic flights in Greece will be canceled.
Additionally, the decision will lead to the cancellation of four low-frequency flights from Chania to Katowice, Memmingen, Venice Treviso, and Vilnius. Ryanair has pointed the finger at Farport Greece for increasing the charges, with the airline’s chief commercial officer, David O’Brien, noting that they have asked ministers to lower these fees.