Ryanair to end all Clermont-Ferrand flights, including UK route

Ryanair is to completely withdraw from Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport, including ending connections to London-Standsted. 

The budget carrier “has decided to cease operations at Clermont-Ferrand Airport as of 27 March 2026, despite good passenger rates on the routes it operates,” the airport stated on Sunday (January 25), reports local media, La Montagne.

As well as stopping flights to London-Standsted (a twice weekly seasonal route that was introduced last March), popular links to Fès (Morocco) and Porto (Portugal) will also be cut. 

The airline has been threatening to scale back its operations in France citing the 180% tax increase on airline tickets, which was passed in the 2025 finance bill, putting regional airports under pressure. 

Ryanair’s current winter 2025 schedule saw a 13% reduction in flights to France, ceasing all operations at three airports - Bergerac, Brive and Strasbourg.

Many regional airports rely on local authority aid to cover core costs such as security and fire services, which are only partly funded by the central state.

Clermont-Ferrand airport has already reported it is struggling to cover security costs, and has highlighted the need for €10million in government aid.

Ryanair’s withdrawal from the site may cause a drop in passenger numbers, putting a further strain on operating costs.

The airline’s CEO, Michael O'Leary, has also expressed frustration regarding industrial action taken by French air traffic controllers, recently issuing a warning to passengers predicting that summer travel in Europe will be “another mess”, and that French staff will “start striking” in May or June. 

No official strike notices have been filed to date, however air traffic controllers went on strike from July 3-4 last year causing widespread delays, with Ryanair cancelling at least 170 flights, disrupting the travel plans of more than 30,000 passengers.