Business · Companies · 10 hrs ago
Ryanair to close Berlin base, affecting about 100 cockpit staff
Ryanair plans to close its Berlin base on Saturday, affecting about 100 cockpit staff.
The pilots’ union, Vereinigung Cockpit, says the closure will weaken worker representation because Berlin has Ryanair’s only works council in Germany.
The union says the closure was announced two weeks after the works council won a case at Germany’s Federal Labour Court in April.
Ryanair denies targeting the union and says high airport fees, aviation taxes and security charges make Berlin its least successful European airport.
The union also says Ryanair has dismissed three of the six members of its negotiating team since pay talks began in April; two have left the company, while a third case is in court.
The union says these developments put pressure on worker representatives and has brought in more full-time staff and lawyers for negotiations.
Its president has called on politicians to intervene.
Ryanair plans to close its Berlin base on Saturday, affecting about 100 cockpit staff.
The Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union accused the airline of weakening employee representation.
The union said Berlin was home to Ryanair’s only works council in its German flight operations.
Ryanair rejected the accusation and said rising costs at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were behind the decision.
The union also said Ryanair had dismissed three members of its six-person negotiating team during pay talks.
- Who
- Ryanair and the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union are involved. About 100 cockpit staff are affected.
- What
- Ryanair plans to close its Berlin base, prompting the union to accuse it of weakening employee representation.
- When
- The closure is planned for Saturday. The article was published on 23 October 2026.
- Where
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Germany.
- Why
- Ryanair cited rising airport costs, including fees, aviation taxes and security charges. The union said the closure would weaken union structures.
Vereinigung Cockpit
Ryanair
Reason for closure
Vereinigung Cockpit
The union said closing the site with Ryanair’s only German works council would weaken union structures and intimidate employees.
Ryanair
Ryanair said the decision was due exclusively to rising costs at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
Berlin’s performance
Vereinigung Cockpit
Not stated.
Ryanair
Ryanair described Berlin as its least successful airport in Europe and said traffic was shrinking because location costs were uncompetitive.
Ryanair announced the planned closure, two weeks after the works council’s success before Germany’s Federal Labour Court.
Ryanair and the union have been in collective bargaining talks.
n-tv reported that the Berlin base was due to close on Saturday.
- Affected staff
- About 100 cockpit employees
- Works council
- Ryanair’s only one in German flight operations was based in Berlin
- Closure announcement
- April
- Union negotiating team
- Three of six members were dismissed, according to the union
- Ryanair’s stated reason
- Rising costs at Berlin Brandenburg Airport
1 source
What people are saying
If an airline closes the very site with its only German works council (...), union structures are deliberately weakened and employees are intimidated.
The allegations are false.