Wizz Air joins the rush to swoop in on Ryanair’s retreat from Spain with 40 new routes

BUDGET airline Wizz Air is capitalising on Ryanair’s ongoing feud with Spanish airport operator Aena by launching 40 new routes to and from Spain.

The expansion comes as Irish rival Ryanair continues its bitter dispute over airport fees, having already axed two million seats from Spain and threatening to cut another million if charges aren’t reduced.

While Wizz Air hasn’t revealed which specific routes will be launched, the company says many of the 40 new services are already operational, with the remainder rolling out by March 2026.

The move comes after Vueling also announced it would add 1.5 million seats across Santiago de Compostela and Tenerife Norte.

READ MORE: Lidl is set to open 50 stores and invest €330m this year – could it topple Carrefour in Spain’s famous supermarket wars?

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Wizz Air’s communications director Andras Rado insisted the timing was coincidental, though he admitted Ryanair’s retreat presented an ‘opportunity’ they intended to ‘exploit’.

Unlike his Ryanair counterparts, Rado described Spain’s airport charges as ‘competitive,’ despite acknowledging they ‘could always be lower.’

The Hungarian carrier has hit a record 10 million seats in Spain this year and now operates 120 routes to 15 countries. 

READ MORE: Costa del Sol zoo transfers nine captive dolphins to China – but why does Spain still permit circus-style shows?

In the EU-Spain market, it ranks sixth with a 3.5% share and 2.1 million passengers between January and June.

At Barcelona’s El Prat airport, Wizz Air has already secured third place among operators, positioning itself perfectly to fill the gap left by Ryanair’s dramatic pullback.

Ryanair has cancelled all operations at seven regional Spanish airports and eliminated 800,000 seats this summer, with another million cut for the coming winter. 

CEO Michael O’Leary has threatened to axe an additional million seats for summer 2026 unless Aena reduces its fees.

READ MORE: Revealed: How faulty electronic tags used by Spain’s government allow dangerous sex offenders to roam free

The row began in March 2024 when Aena ended a decade-long price freeze, raising fees by 40 cents. Tensions escalated further when another 6.5% increase was announced in July, bringing charges to €11.03 per passenger from March 2026.

O’Leary, who famously branded Spanish Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy a ‘communist lunatic’ over hand luggage fee complaints, has accused Aena of monopolistic behaviour and demanded regional airports be transferred to local governments.

The contrast in approaches couldn’t be starker. While Ryanair wages war on Spanish authorities, Wizz Air is rolling out the red carpet with promises to ‘stay here, keep growing and get closer to Spanish passengers.’

However, Wizz Air faces its own regulatory headaches. The company confirmed it’s the sixth budget airline sanctioned by Spain’s Consumer Ministry for charging hand luggage fees, joining Ryanair, Vueling, EasyJet, Volotea and Transavia.

READ MORE: Hurricane Gabrielle threatens Spain as forecasters track weekend arrival – which regions are in the firing line?

Defending the practice, Rado claimed their aircraft only have space for half their passengers’ bags, though the company declined to reveal its response to the penalty.

Airlines continue charging for cabin bags pending resolution of conflicting EU and Spanish regulations, with Spanish courts delivering contradictory rulings on the practice.

The airline’s domestic Spanish market share remains modest at 1.4%, ranking 14th with 1.7 million passengers, far behind Ryanair’s 22.9% share and 28.9 million passengers.

But with Ryanair’s self-imposed retreat and Wizz Air’s aggressive expansion plans, the budget airline landscape in Spain is set for a significant shake-up.

Click here to read more Travel News from The Olive Press.