Due to what it described as “excessive fees” imposed by state-controlled airport operator Aena, Ryanair said today that it will be discontinuing flights at seven small airports in Spain this summer, reports RTE.
In addition to cutting back on flights to and from Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza, Santander, and the Asturias airport, the airline will cease operations in the cities of Jerez and Valladolid.
According to a statement from the carrier, it would eliminate almost 800,000 passenger seats and lower capacity on 12 routes by 18% overall compared to the previous summer, reports RTE.
The airline, which has the most customers in Spain, announced that it will reallocate its planes and capacity to nations “where governments encourage growth,” including Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, and Morocco.
Despite a pause during the Covid-19 epidemic and a December judgement by the competition watchdog to prevent a 2025 hike, Ryanair has been complaining about Aena’s airport fees for a number of years, reports RTE.
Spain saw a record amount of international visitors in 2024, with over 309 million people passing through its airports, an all-time high.
Authorities in Spain anticipate that this year’s tourism boom will continue, reports RTE.
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