Ryanair has announced that it will cut 800,000 seats on flights to and from Spain this summer. The Irish airline attributes this decision to the “excessive taxes” imposed on Spanish airports. As a result, Ryanair will partially withdraw from several Spanish airports and shift its capacity elsewhere.
The airline will completely cease flights to Jerez de la Frontera and Valladolid. Additionally, it will reduce flight frequencies to cities such as Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza, Santander, and Asturias Airport. Ryanair has long criticized the fees charged by the Spanish airport operator Aena, arguing that they impact its low-cost business model.
According to Reuters, Aena claims that its average airport fee is €10.35 per passenger, one of the lowest in Europe. However, Ryanair argues that other countries such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, and Morocco actively support aviation growth through lower charges, prompting the airline to shift capacity to those markets.
