RyanAir flights to Spain hit the news again this week! For those who know me, my thoughts on this particular airline are one of the very last ones I’d usually consider booking with.
Ryanair’s Having a Right Strop: One Million Fewer Seats to Spain This Winter
Well, this is just brilliant, isn’t it?
Right, so here’s what’s happening while we’re all trying to figure out how to afford our weekly shop: Ryanair has just announced they’re slashing one million seats to and from Spain this winter. Yes, you read that right – one million fewer chances to get a cheap flight to visit your mates on the costas or pop back to Blighty for a proper Sunday roast.
This is the waffle they announced on their Facebook page today:
Tourism Catastrophe in Regional Spain
Aena’s Excessive Airport Charges = 1M Spanish seats removed for winter 25/26
Impact on regional airports:
Reduced capacity (-41%).
Santiago base to close – $200m investment lost.
All flights to Vigo & Tenerife North to cease.
Valladolid & Jerez airports closed for Winter ’25.
Reduced capacity at 4 other regional airports: Zaragoza (-45%), Santander (-38%), Asturias (-16%), and Vitoria (-2%).
Cancellation of 36 direct connections to regional Spain and the Canary Islands.
Once again, Aena and the Spanish Govt (its majority shareholder) has failed regional Spain whose airports are almost 70% EMPTY.
The Numbers That’ll Make Your Eyes Water
Michael O’Leary’s budget brigade is cutting:
- 600,000 seats from Spanish mainland routes (that’s a 41% chop)
- 400,000 seats from the Canaries (a 10% reduction)
- And they’re threatening to cut two million seats annually going forward
Now, before you start panicking about never being able to afford that flight to Málaga again, let me explain what’s really going on here.
It’s All About the Money (Surprise, Surprise)
Ryanair is having an absolute meltdown over airport charges. They’re pointing the finger squarely at AENA – that’s the Spanish airport operator that basically runs every major airport in the country. AENA has announced they’re bumping up airline fees by 6.6% from 2026, which Ryanair reckons is taking the piss, especially when AENA’s making record profits.
Eddie Wilson, Ryanair’s CEO, is not mincing his words: “The monopolistic airport operator has no interest in developing traffic at Spain’s regional airports and simply wants to focus on making record profits.”
Pot, meet kettle, Eddie.
Which RyanAir Flights To Spain Airports Are Getting the Chop?
If you’re flying to any of these places, you might want to start looking at alternatives:
Completely shutting down:
- Santiago base (two aircraft, gone)
- All flights to Tenerife North (from this winter)
- Vigo airport flights (from January 1st)
Staying closed:
- Valladolid base (been shut since winter 2024)
- Jerez base (closed for the entire winter season)
Getting seriously reduced:
- Santiago: 38% fewer flights
- Zaragoza: 45% cut (ouch)
- Asturias: 16% reduction
- Plus 36 connections between mainland Spain and the Canaries getting the axe.
The good news? If you’re flying to Madrid or Barcelona, you’re probably fine. Ryanair’s still planning to grow at those airports because, let’s face it, that’s where the money is.
AENA Fires Back (And They’re Not Happy)
Mauricio Lucena, AENA’s president, has come out swinging, and frankly, he’s not holding back. He’s accused Ryanair of having a “disturbing plutocratic conception of the political system” – which is a fancy way of saying they think they can bully governments into giving them what they want.
His best line? “It is difficult to find another case like Ryanair’s in contemporary business history where the discrepancy between a company’s operational excellence and the dishonesty of its communications policy is so striking.”
Bloody hell, Mauricio. Tell us what you really think.
The Reality Check
Here’s the thing AENA wants you to know: they reckon their airport charges are actually the most competitive in Europe. The increase works out to 68 cents per passenger from March 2026, with 11.03 euros per passenger being the maximum annual charge.
They’re also pointing out that they’re in the middle of their biggest airport investment program in two decades, which costs money, and that money has to come from somewhere. One example of this is the proposed second runway at Alicante airport, which was announced recently.
What This Means for You
If you’re living in Spain or planning regular trips, this is going to hurt. Regional airports are already struggling, and losing Ryanair routes makes them even less viable. Wilson’s warning that many regional airports could close in the next 5-10 years isn’t just corporate bluster – it’s a genuine concern.
For expats living in smaller Spanish cities, this could mean longer drives to major airports or significantly more expensive flights with other carriers. And let’s be honest, when you’re already dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, the last thing you need is your cheap flight options disappearing.
I know when we lived in Cuevas, it was an hour and a half drive to Granada airport, which had limited flights as it was. A three and a half hour drive got us to Alicante, or the distance to Airport Malaga is approximately 234 km, so roughly two and a half hours. Truth be known, we dropped the dogs at the kennels on the way to Alicante.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about Ryanair having a tantrum (though there’s definitely some of that). It’s about the future of affordable travel to Spain. When the cheapest carrier starts pulling routes, other airlines rarely rush to fill the gap with equally cheap alternatives.
The Spanish government finds itself caught between supporting tourism (which is massive for the economy) and dealing with Ryanair’s increasingly aggressive negotiating tactics. Meanwhile, passengers are the ones who’ll ultimately pay the price – either through higher fares or fewer flight options.
So there you have it – another chapter in the ongoing saga of “How to Make Travel More Expensive During a Cost-of-Living Crisis.” Brilliant stuff all round.
What do you think? Is Ryanair right to take a stand against airport charges, or is this just corporate bullying? Drop us a line – we’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’re affected by these route cuts.
