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2d ago

German Government Upholds 2026 Air Ticket Tax Despite Budget Pressure

Cabinet approval of the draft budget leaves the 2024 ticket tax increase intact despite industry warnings of service cuts.

Der Flughafen in Budapest kämpft derzeit mit einem Mangel an Treibstoff, der auf Schwierigkeiten in der Lieferkette zurückzuführen ist. Fluggesellschaften, die den ungarischen Flughafen anfliegen, sollten daher vorbereitet sein.
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Die im Koalitionsvertrag vereinbarte Senkung der Luftverkehrsteuer ist im Entwurf für den Haushalt für das kommende Jahr nicht berücksichtigt. Die deutsche Tourismuswirtschaft kritisierte das "bei allem Verständnis für die angespannte Haushaltslage" scharf.
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Overview

  • The cabinet approved the draft 2026 federal budget with air traffic tax revenues forecast at €2.07 billion and no provision for cutting the elevated rates introduced in May 2024.
  • Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and coalition leaders point to tight fiscal space and financing conditions in their governing agreement as reasons for postponing any tax rollback.
  • Major aviation and tourism bodies, including BDL, ADV and BTW, warn that sustained high levies and airport charges threaten flight connectivity, tourism revenues and Germany’s export competitiveness.
  • A March 2025 report by the Federal Ministry of Transport found German airport location costs grew 38 percent between 2019 and 2024 versus a 26 percent EU average, contributing to a slower post-pandemic passenger recovery.
  • Officials have suggested that any future reduction in the ticket tax would need to be funded by savings from other budget lines, such as transport or economy and energy allocations.