Ryanair has announced it will cancel all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North and close its base in Santiago de Compostela, as part of a broader reduction of 17 million seats to and from Spain. The budget airline claims the cuts are in response to Aena, the Spanish airport operator, proposing a 6.5% increase in passenger fees for 2026.
The airline will also keep its bases in Valladolid and Jerez closed, and reduce capacity at Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and the Canary Islands this winter. Overall, Ryanair plans to cut capacity by 41% in Spanish regions and 10% in the Canary Islands, scrapping 36 routes entirely.
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson warned the move would lead to 'a loss of investment, connectivity, tourism, and employment in regional Spain, as many routes will be economically unviable.' Flights to Vigo will cease in January 2025, and to Tenerife North from the start of the Winter 2025 season. Capacity to Zaragoza will be slashed by 45%, Santander by 38%, Asturias by 16%, and Vitoria by 2%.
Meanwhile, Ryanair plans to add two million seats on routes to Italy, Morocco, Croatia, and Albania. The airline will continue to grow at major airports including Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, and those in the Balearic and Canary Islands, focusing on hubs with strong demand.
Ryanair reported a 2% increase in passenger numbers in August, carrying 21 million passengers, with a load factor of 96%. Over the past 12 months, passenger numbers grew by 6% to 203.6 million.
