Ryanair cuts summer flights in Spain « Euro Weekly News
Ryanair plane. Credit: Pixabay.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has announced a significant reduction in its summer 2025 schedule in Spain, citing “excessive fees” charged by state-controlled airport operator Aena.
The budget airline is planning to cut capacity by 18 per cent across 12 routes, resulting in the cancellation of 800,000 passenger seats compared to last summer, as noted in a Ryanair press release on January 16. Meanwhile, the airline is expanding its operations in Poland, including a new route from Lublin to Barcelona.
Reduced Ryanair flights in Spain
Ryanair will cease operations entirely in Jerez and Valladolid and reduce flights at several regional airports, including:
- Vigo: -61 per cent
- Santiago de Compostela: -28 per cent
- Zaragoza: -20 per cent
- Asturias: -11 per cent
- Santander: -5 per cent
The airline attributed the cuts to Aena’s “monopolistic” fee structure and lack of incentives to promote regional growth. Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson stated, “AENA’s excessive airport charges and lack of viable incentives for growth continue to harm Spain’s regional airports, limiting their growth and leaving huge areas of airport capacity unused.” He further criticised Aena for prioritising investments outside Spain, such as in “airports in the Caribbean, the UK, and America.”
This decision follows years of complaints by Ryanair about rising fees, even though Spain’s government froze airport charges until 2026. Ryanair claims Aena’s refusal to offer effective incentive packages is forcing the airline to redirect capacity to other European markets where governments encourage growth, such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, and Morocco.
Aena, however, contested Ryanair’s allegations, stating that its average fee of €10.35 per passenger is “one of the lowest in Europe.” The airport operator described Ryanair’s criticisms as “spurious arguments… to confuse citizens and put pressure on public institutions,” according to a report by Reuters.
Ryanair’s growth in Poland
While cutting flights in Spain, Ryanair is strengthening its presence in Poland, where it remains the top airline. As part of its summer 2025 schedule, the airline announced a new route from Lublin to Barcelona, which will operate twice weekly starting 31 March 2025.
This marks an exciting opportunity for Polish travellers to visit one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. “Barcelona offers everything – a unique atmosphere, cuisine, culture, and art,” said Alicja Wojcik Golębiowska, Ryanair’s Country Manager for Central and Eastern Europe, in a press release.
Spain’s record-breaking tourism numbers in 2024, with 309 million passengers travelling through Aena airports according to RTE, underline the importance of connectivity.
Ryanair has called on Spain’s competition authority, CNMC, to align Aena’s charges with the government’s five-year freeze and introduce effective incentive packages. “Without urgent action, Spain risks losing further capacity and investment to more competitive markets,” Wilson warned.
