Ryanair has announced it will remove 1.2 million seats from its Spanish flight schedule next summer, citing continued increases in regional airport fees. The airline also confirmed it will halt all flights to and from Asturias Airport in northern Spain, a move it says is a direct response to the pricing policies of the Spanish airport operator Aena.
The reduction, equivalent to roughly 10 per cent of its capacity to and from Spanish destinations, follows an earlier cut of one million seats for the winter 2025 season. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary accused Aena and the Spanish government of harming regional tourism and jobs through high fees, and noted that Aena is planning a seven per cent increase, the largest in over a decade.
Mr O'Leary said the displaced seats would be redeployed to larger Spanish airports and to lower-cost competitors in Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Sweden and Hungary. He also renewed criticism of fines imposed by Spain on budget airlines for charging for cabin luggage, describing them as illegal and in breach of EU rules on pricing freedom.
His comments come after the European Commission formally notified Spain that such fines, which included a €179m (£155m) penalty against Ryanair, easyJet, Norwegian, Vueling and Volotea, breached EU regulations. Spain has two months to respond. Spanish Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy rejected the Commission's position, saying he would defend the country's measures.
Responding to Ryanair's announcement, Aena executive vice president Javier Marín defended the competitiveness of the Spanish airport system, noting that other airlines were taking over the routes Ryanair was leaving. He said Aena would continue working with regional institutions to promote growth, adding that the country's airport model had made Spain one of the world's busiest aviation markets.
