Bordeaux airport: ‘Ryanair pulling out was our worst-case scenario’

The withdrawal of Ryanair from Bordeaux airport was the “worst case scenario” for the airport and will lead to a 25% decrease in passenger numbers, an airport spokesperson told The Connexion.

However she said the operation of the airport is not in doubt.

Ryanair announced in May that it would withdraw from Bordeaux-Mérignac in October due to the airport increasing its fees for airlines from November. 

The low-cost carrier will not only stop using the airport as one of its four French bases but will stop flying to and from the airport altogether. It currently operates 40 routes to and from Bordeaux.

Bordeaux-Mérignac confirmed that the date of Ryanair’s total withdrawal will be October 27, 2024.

Ryanair will continue its normal services until then, meaning that flights booked for the summer are not affected.

Previous article: UK-France flights at risk as Ryanair threatens to shut Bordeaux base

‘Worst case scenario’ for Bordeaux airport

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of flights to and from Bordeaux-Mérignac in 2024 are with low-cost companies, with easyJet, followed by Ryanair being the airport’s biggest partners.

The sudden withdrawal of Ryanair not only means the loss of 40 routes and 90 jobs, but also the loss of 1.7 million passenger trips - a reduction of 25% for the airport.

However, Cyrielle Clément, Head of Routes Development at Bordeaux-Mérignac, told The Connexion that despite this loss the airport’s future was safe.

“We had planned to increase the fees for some time, and had envisioned several scenarios. A complete withdrawal of Ryanair was the worst-case, but not wholly unexpected given the company’s character.

“It could take some time to make up for the loss,” she said. “We are looking at two to three years of lower traffic. But we see this as an opportunity to expand with other airlines, which has been our long-term aim.”

Several smaller airports including Béziers-Cap d’Agde, Nîmes, la Rochelle, Tarbes, Quimper and Perpignan are currently under scrutiny from the France’s national state auditor, the Cour des Comptes, due to their reliance on loss-making deals with Ryanair.

Indeed, it was following the Cour des Comptes report on the cost of catering to low-cost airlines, which was judged to be “opaque, potentially discriminatory and disproportionate”,

that Bordeaux-Mérignac announced it would try to attract higher-end airlines. 

Read more: Regional French airports under threat as auditors question value

Standing up to Ryanair

Following the announcement of higher fees, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary told Agence-France-Presse: “The airport wants to double our charges, and we don't want to pay for that.”

The airport denied Mr O’Leary’s claims, saying that his reports of a “doubling” in airport fees was “completely erroneous”.

The decision to raise its fees has garnered support from aircrew union SNPNC-FO, which says that Ryanair had been “gorging itself on colossal financial aid”.

The airport had previously “rolled out the red carpet” to the low-cost Irish carrier, the union says, and is now simply implementing “airport costs that match the market price”.

Routes to UK maintained in 2025

Ms Clément reaffirmed the airport’s commitment to its British passengers, saying that it is looking to expand its routes to several destinations - including some in the UK - and is maintaining its routes with easyJet.

EasyJet, which has shown no sign of following Ryanair’s lead in withdrawing from Bordeaux, continues to fly to Bristol, Glasgow, London and Manchester.