Adam Husicka
RYANAIR has warned it could strip another one million seats from flights to Spain next summer if the country’s airport operator does not back down on higher charges.
The Irish carrier has already cancelled two million seats across the past summer and the coming winter, in protest at a 6.5% rise in fees imposed by state-owned operator Aena.
Chief executive Michael O’Leary told the Financial Times after the airline’s annual meeting that he will return to Madrid in two weeks and “will probably announce another one million seats coming out next summer”.
“If the costs in regional Spain are too high, I will fly elsewhere,” O’Leary said. “If the Spanish government can’t persuade Aena [to back down], then I’ve no desire to serve them anyway.”
The airline has already confirmed it will not operate winter flights to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, Valladolid, Jerez and Tenerife North.
O’Leary said that half a million of the seats pulled from regional airports had already been redirected to Málaga and Palma, with others shifted to Italy.
READ MORE: Vueling steps in to fill Ryanair’s shoes and offers Spain’s airports 1.5 million new seats
Aena, which is majority state-owned and also controls London Luton, insists the increase amounts to just €0.68 per passenger.
Its chairman Maurici Lucena has accused Ryanair of “extortion” and called the airline “impertinent”, arguing that it had applied to run more flights even while announcing cuts.
Spain’s transport minister has backed Aena, branding Ryanair’s tactics “blackmail”.
READ MORE: Ryanair makes welcome changes to carry-on luggage size after bruising battle with Spain’s airports
Consumer affairs minister Pablo Bustinduy also criticised the European Commission after it confirmed that transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas would meet O’Leary in Brussels.
Spain is Ryanair’s second-largest market after Italy, representing 18% of revenue last year. But O’Leary said he is prepared to keep cutting capacity if charges remain unchanged.
“It is mad you have a country the size of Spain with one big monopoly,” he added.
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Strictly speaking, management of Spanish airlines in not an AENA monopoly, with Castellón being privately managed. Mr O’ Leary would have been correct if he had said ” is virtually a monopoly”
That aside, he must be the biggest friend of the keep tourist out of Spain brigade!
And as expected, other airlines are looking closely at moving in.
“half a million of the seats pulled from regional airports had already been redirected to Málaga and Palma” – airports managed by AENA!