Ryanair has warned it may slash more flights to Spanish destinations in response to what it describes as “excessive” airport charges imposed by Spain’s national airport operator, Aena.
The dispute follows Aena’s decision to increase airport fees by 4.09% in 2024 to offset inflation. Ryanair has argued that the hike could lead to higher fares for travellers, particularly those from the UK and Ireland, the most significant sources of international tourism to Spain.
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson criticized the move, stating that regional airports “need low fees to stimulate growth.” Speaking to the Spanish business outlet El Economista, Mr. Wilson added that the budget carrier would not continue to invest in routes that are no longer financially viable.
Ryanair has already taken action. In January, the airline cut its planned summer 2025 traffic to Spain by 18%, closing operations in Jerez and Valladolid and scaling back flights from Santiago de Compostela, Asturias, Cantabria, and Zaragoza — a reduction amounting to around 800,000 seats.
Wilson said those decisions were driven by the need to reallocate aircraft to markets where operational costs were decreasing.
“The rational decision is to move traffic to where access costs are falling, not rising, so we will continue to do so gradually,” he said.
In contrast, Ryanair has boosted capacity at larger airports such as Madrid, Malaga and Alicante, adding 1.5 million seats to routes with higher passenger demand and better returns.
Responding to the airline’s criticism, Aena CEO Maurici Lucena Betriu downplayed the conflict, saying, “On a day-to-day basis, we have good operational relations with Ryanair.”
He noted that regional airport fees remain low—around €2 per passenger—and suggested Ryanair’s strategy was about maximising profit, not avoiding costs.
“Eliminating routes from regional airports is not due to the level of Aena tariffs at these airports,” he said. “It’s in line with the airline’s policy to put aircraft on routes where they get a higher economic return.”
Spain is not the only country facing service cuts from Ryanair due to rising operational costs. In February 2025, the airline announced it would pull one aircraft from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport for the summer season due to increasing charges and restrictions.
A month later, Ryanair axed all flights to the Danish city of Aalborg after the government introduced new aviation taxes.
The airline said the decision was based on the tax hike making the route “hopelessly uncompetitive” compared to other EU countries such as Sweden, Italy, and Hungary — nations Ryanair claims are reducing aviation taxes to promote travel and economic growth.
Despite tensions between Ryanair and Aena, Spain remains one of Europe’s most popular destinations. Over 18 million British tourists visited the country in 2024.
However, with rising travel costs and increasing efforts by Spanish authorities to combat overtourism, holidaymakers may soon be encouraged to explore lesser-known destinations beyond the country’s most visited hotspots.