Ryanair reduces 18% of Spain operations for Summer 2025 due to high airport fees
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced an 18% reduction in its operations in Spain for Summer 2025, cancelling 800,000 passenger seats and 12 routes across seven regional airports.
On January 16, 2025, the airline said in a statement that the decision is a result of excessive charges and “incentive plans” from AENA, a Spanish operator managing 63 airports, 48 of which are in Spain. According to Ryanair, these plans “are completely ineffective in supporting the government’s policy of growth of regional airports”.
As a result, Ryanair will cease operations in Jerez Airport (XRY) and Valladolid Airport (VLL), retire a Santiago-based aircraft and reduce traffic by Summer 2025 at five other regional airports: Vigo–Peinador Airport (VGO), Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ), Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ), Asturias Airport (OVD) and Santander Airport (SDR).
The airline accuses AENA of refusing to “use its regional airport structure to support Spanish regional investment, prioritizing instead investments in airports outside Spain.”
“AENA’s decision not to incentivize airlines to use the untapped capacity of its regional airports has forced Ryanair to relocate aircraft and capacity to more competitive European markets, such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary and Morocco, where governments are actively incentivizing growth,” said Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair.
In December 2024, the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) announced that AENA’s charges for 2025 will remain the same as in 2024. The Maximum Adjusted Passenger Income applicable for 2025 is set at €10.35 per passenger, just as in 2024.
Wilson said that Ryanair supports this decision. However, he added that it does not cancel out “the damage caused by AENA’s 2024 hikes and lack of incentives at regional airports.”
“AENA persists in unjustified rate hikes and refuses to apply effective incentive systems to support Spain’s regional growth, prioritizing foreign investments in airports in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the Americas,” Wilson added.
The airline is now asking CNMC to cancel AENA’s 2024 fee hikes, aligning them with the government’s five-year rate freeze and to implement incentive packages that attract airlines to grow connectivity, tourism and employment at regional airports. The post Ryanair reduces 18% of Spain operations for Summer 2025 due to high airport fees appeared first on AeroTime.
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced an 18% reduction in its operations in Spain for Summer 2025, cancelling 800,000…
The post Ryanair reduces 18% of Spain operations for Summer 2025 due to high airport fees appeared first on AeroTime.
