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Ryanair slashes Spain summer operations by 18% in 2025 over pricey airport fees

By:

Pilotcenter.net

Low-cost airline Ryanair has recently made an important announcement regarding its summer 2025 operations in Spain, revealing an 18% reduction which entails the cancellation of 800,000 passenger seats and 12 routes spanning across seven regional airports. This decision, as stated by the airline on January 16, 2025, was primarily influenced by what they describe as excessive charges and “ineffective incentive plans” enforced by AENA, the Spanish airport operator in charge of managing 63 airports, with 48 located within Spain. According to Ryanair, these plans have failed to provide the necessary support for the government's regional airport growth strategy, prompting them to make difficult operational changes. Ryanair will be shutting down operations at Jerez Airport (XRY) and Valladolid Airport (VLL), as well as reducing services by Summer 2025 at five other regional airports including Vigo–Peinador Airport (VGO), Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ), Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ), Asturias Airport (OVD), and Santander Airport (SDR).
The airline has accused AENA of neglecting Spain's regional investment in favor of prioritizing investments in airports outside the country, a move that they claim has forced them to reallocate resources to more competitive markets in Europe where growth is actively encouraged. CEO of Ryanair, Eddie Wilson, expressed his dismay at AENA’s decision, highlighting the lack of support for regional growth and the detrimental impact this has had on their operations. Despite Ryanair’s support for the National Commission for Markets and Competition’s (CNMC) decision to maintain charges at the same level as 2024 for 2025, Wilson emphasized that this alone does not reverse the negative effects of AENA’s 2024 fee hikes and ineffective incentive programs. Wilson urged CNMC to reconsider these decisions, calling for a cancellation of the 2024 fee increases, alignment with the government’s rate freeze, and the implementation of effective incentive schemes to foster the growth of connectivity, tourism, and job opportunities at regional airports throughout Spain.

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