Ryanair leaves Düsseldorf Airport

Author : Thomas Wandler
Date: 14.11.2018

Laudamotion takes over all flights

The Irish budget airline Ryanair wants to retire from Düsseldorf. The flights will then be managed by the subsidiary airline Laudamotion. The plan is for the two airlines to focus on all the locations where they both currently operate. In the course of this Ryanair wants to take over all Laudamotion slots in Berlin and Laudamotion all Ryanair slots in Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf Airport has already confirmed these plans and agrees. It is hoped that Laudamotion will be a strengthened partner that will offer not only tourist destinations but also city connections from summer 2019.

The last time that Ryanair will fly from Düsseldorf is scheduled for 31 March 2019. Ryanair was therefore only active at North Rhine-Westphalia’s largest airport for a short period of time. For years there was speculation if and when the Irish low-cost airline would also fly from Düsseldorf. The airline has already applied for take-off and landing rights (slots for short) in the past. A commitment was also given, which Ryanair initially did not use.

It was only last summer that Ryanair received the desired slots. But the market was dominated by the insolvency of the largest airline in Düsseldorf, Air Berlin. The former founder of the Air Berlin subsidiary Niki, Niki Lauda, acquired his former airline. He then renamed it Laudamotion. Ryanair then gradually acquired a total of 75 percent of the airline. Laudamotion is currently planning to add more flights to the so-called hot water destinations in the Mediterranean region from Düsseldorf Airport.