'Bergerac airport faces closure if Ryanair leaves for good', says Dordogne CCI head

Ryanair's decision to discontinue flights to Bergerac could result in the airport's closure should it leave for good, says Christophe Fauvel, president of the Dordogne Chamber of Commerce (CCI).

The low-cost airline announced on July 30 that it is stopping flights to Bergerac, Brive and Strasbourg this winter in response to the French government’s decision to raise taxes on airline flight tickets.

'The airport may face closure'

While Ryanair has not commented on the future of its summer routes to the airport, Mr Fauvel told French media that a decision to expand the withdrawal to summer would be catastrophic.

"The threat has existed since the government decided, against all advice, to increase this (flight) tax," he told France Info, calling Ryanair's decision to end its winter routes "a lesser evil" as during this period some four to five times fewer people use the airport than in the summer. 

"It is what happens next that worries us," he added. "If Ryanair decides to follow through on its threat and leaves Bergerac for good the airport may face closure".

Airport claims effect to be 'limited'

However, Bergerac airport says that Ryanair's decision to end its winter service will have a “limited impact”, estimating that it expects to see a loss of 18,000 passengers or 7% of its annual passenger numbers as a result.

In a statement the airport says its activity is highly seasonal and for the winter period, which runs from October 26 to March 28, it had planned for only one regular service from Ryanair, to London Stansted airport.

Planned work on the runway, which will take between six and eight weeks in January and February, will close the airport and further limit the impact.

The airport said it had only learnt about the withdrawal at the same time as the press on July 30.

It did not say explicitly if Ryanair was expected to return for the summer 2026 season.

“Bergerac airport remains motivated and is already working hard on the summer season for 2026,” it said. “We will offer services to meet the needs of our passengers, and this includes the development of new lines and welcoming new airlines.”

This summer Ryanair flew from Bergerac to Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and London Stansted. Brive had Ryanair flights to London Stansted.

Bergerac airport is owned by the Dordogne Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and is managed by a company, EGC AERO, which is owned 55% by the CCI and 45% by infrastructure engineering, management and consultancy company Egis.

“Although the effect will be limited, we will have to be more vigilant with our future budgets,” its statement said. “In this sense the trustworthiness of all our partners is very precious.”

As well as stopping these winter flights from Bergerac, Ryanair said it will do the same at Brive and Strasbourg airports, which have not yet commented on the decision.

In addition, the company said it will cut the number of seats available this winter to the main airports it services in France, with Marseille seeing a 9% cut, Paris-Beauvais 8% and Toulouse 4%.

Other French regional airports that have winter services will see a combined 27% cut in seat capacity on Ryanair planes.

Overall, the Irish low-cost airline says the number of seats available for its French services this winter will drop by 13%, with 25 regular flights cut and a total reduction of 750,000 passenger seats.

It blames a sharp rise in airport ticket taxes, and other charges, in France for its decision. It did, however, open new routes in France this year.

Will easyJet step in and take on the routes?

The Connexion asked EasyJet, the UK low-cost airline which also has a strong presence in France, if it will be stepping into the gaps left by Ryanair.

“We remain committed to the routes we fly,” it replied. “While we do fly from Strasbourg, Toulouse and Marseille we have a different route network to Ryanair.”

EasyJet says it is the second largest airline operating in France and flies from 21 local airports, but Bergerac and Brive are not among them.

It joined Ryanair’s criticism of the ticket taxes.

“We have shared our serious concerns with the French government about the detrimental impact on the connectivity of the French regions and the tourism industry overall. 

“As a major tourist destination, France must have a long term and ambitious plan for the airline industry that does not rely on punitive taxation to the detriment of customer’s purchasing power and that of the regional economy.”