Alex Trelinski
IRISH carrier Ryanair has threatened ‘drastic cuts’ to services in Spain following a 6.6% hike in airport taxes from 2025.
Airport operator Aena announced the increase this week which will mean the average levy per passenger will rise by 68 cents to €11.03 per head.
Ryanair’s response has been to say that over 800,000 seats will be culled from regional airport services from the forthcoming winter season.
READ MORE:
- Spanish airport operator Aena to increase passenger fees in 2026
- Ryanair hits passenger record in Spain despite regional airport axe and route closures
Speaking to the Expansion business newspaper, Ryanair CEO, Eddie Wilson, said: “It’s going to be catastrophic for many regional airports. We are analysing it and we will make the announcement in a few weeks, but the adjustment is going to be quite severe. Drastic.”
Wilson told Expansion that Ryanair will ask Spain’s competition watchdog, the CNMC to veto the rise and has also called on the government to intervene.
Winter cuts will follow service reductions in seven regional airports this year, but Wilson says Ryanair will still see passenger growth of 2% in Spain.
“We would like to assign more aircraft to Spain and we want to grow, not argue,” he argued.
He also warned that cuts would mean the ‘closure of hotels and restaurants next summer’.
Wilson also fired a salvo at Transport Minister, Oscar Puente.
“Puente has been responsible for Ryanair’s departure from Valladolid and Jerez- and there are more to come,” he said- without specifying which airports are under threat.
On the upside, Wilson said Ryanair ‘will continue to grow in large airports’ next winter, such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga- adding that he wants greater capacity.
He added that large airports ‘are reaching a limit’ and that regional airports are only operating at 30% because fares ‘are not competitive’.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
