Austrian Airlines ends Graz‑Wien route as Austrian airport traffic falls

Austrian Airlines announced that the Graz‑Wien flight will be discontinued from 24 October 2026. The airline cited persistent deficits on the short‑haul service and a first‑half‑year 2026 adjusted EBIT loss of €93 million, driven by higher fuel costs and disruptions in the Middle‑East.

In the same period Austria’s six commercial airports recorded a combined 16.4 million passengers, a 2.6 % decline from the previous year. Vienna International Airport saw a 3.2 % drop to 14.74 million passengers, while Linz and Klagenfurt suffered the steepest falls of 15.3 % and 14.4 % respectively. Salzburg and Innsbruck posted modest gains. Industry bodies, including the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Österreichischer Verkehrsflughäfen (AÖV), warned that the Austrian aviation sector needs “spürbare Entlastung” and a reduction of the short‑haul flight tax to remain competitive.

Travel agencies in Styria fear higher ticket prices and less convenient connections, and regional officials have called for a Koralmbahn‑station at Graz Airport to offset the loss of the direct link to Vienna.