RYANAIR’S boss, Michael O’Leary has announced the budget airline will cut 1.2 million seats at Spain’s regional airports for the 2026 summer season- including the ending of all flights to Asturias.
It’s the latest salvo in the ongoing battle over regional airport fees between the Irish carrier and Spain’s airport operator Aena
Company CEO Michael O’Leary said: “Aena is damaging tourism and employment in these regions and charges are high. If they are lowered, we will come back.”
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At a Wednesday news conference he specified that there will be 200,000 more seat cuts in addition to the 800,000 that he eliminated last summer at regional airports.
That’s on top of the one million removed for the forthcoming winter season, resulting in a total cut of three million straddling 2025 and 2026.
Ryanair has already stopped operating at Jerez de la Frontera, Valladolid, Vigo and Tenerife Norte.
On the other hand, it has announced a winter rise of 600,000 seats at larger airports such as Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
O’Leary said the company wants to grow in Spain, but not in regional airports due to the policies of the Spanish government and Aena.
He attack the government for rejecting the proposal of reversing next year’s 6% regional airport tax rise or slashing rates by 50% to attract more traffic.
Michael O’Leary also blasted the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy who ‘should resign’ for his incompetence.
The attack came after news that the European Commission opened proceedings against Spain for imposing multi-million euro fines on low-cost carriers like Ryanair over hand luggage charges.
O’Leary welcomed the move and said that Spanish laws must be adapted to EU legislation and stated that the fines were ‘illegal’.
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