Ryanair has unveiled its schedule for the 2024 summer season in Portugal with 14 new routes to cities in Sweden, Italy, Spain and Morocco.
Ryanair’s schedule in Portugal for summer 2024
- 14 new routes (Alicante, Stockholm, Belfast, Budapest, Krakow, Norwich, Marrakech, Rome, Ibiza, Madrid, Pisa, Poznan and Tangier.
- A total of 170 routes.
- Traffic exceeds 13.5 million passengers per year (+7%).
- 28 aircraft based (investment of 3 billion dollars).
- Maintains 11,500 jobs, 1,000 of them pilots, cabin crew and engineers.
The company has accused concessionaire ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal of increasing airport charges by 17% in January 2024, this has caused the closure at its Ponta Delgada base, the withdrawal of a Boeing 737 from its base in Madeira and cuts in scheduling at Faro and Porto.
At Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, where capacity is limited, airport charges increased well above inflation. These increases in airport charges by ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal go against the grain of other European airports that have reduced their charges to overcome pre-pandemic levels and encourage growth.
Ryanair claims that these above-inflation increases benefit ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal and VINCI Airports. The airline also demands that the Portuguese government open Montijo airport and break the ANA/VINCI monopoly and bring competition, choice and lower fares to Lisbon.
«Unfortunately, however, ANA’s increased monopoly fees are forcing airlines like Ryanair to cut regional flights to and from Portugal. It is unacceptable that the Portuguese regulator, ANAC, has accepted ANA monopoly fee increases of up to 17%, well above inflation. This decision will further jeopardize Portugal’s tourism growth and employment,» said Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair.
See also: Ryanair Leases Largest Hangar at Madrid-Barajas Airport
