Ryanair pressures Spain over airport fees: Aena calls it "blackmail"
Ryanair announced a reduction of 12 routes and 800,000 seats in Spain for summer 2025, citing high airport fees imposed by Aena. This move adds to recent operational cuts in Germany and France, as the airline continues its strategy of pressuring governments and airport operators across Europe to reduce costs
Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, adds a new chapter to its pressure strategy. After recent conflicts in Germany and France, it now puts Spain at the center of the controversy, threatening to reduce routes and seats if airport fees are not adjusted.
In January 2025, Ryanair announced a drastic reduction in its summer operations, eliminating 12 routes and 800,000 seats. The cities of Jerez and Valladolid will lose the airline's services entirely, while others such as Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza, Asturias, and Santander will see reduced flights.
The company claims that Spanish regional airports "are not competitive" due to the high fees imposed by Aena, the airport operator. Maurici Lucena, president of Aena, described Ryanair's demands as "blackmail" and defended that fees in Spain are among the lowest in Europe, averaging €10.35 per passenger.
Germany: warnings in 2024
In October 2024, Ryanair had already announced a 12% cut in its traffic at German airports starting April 2025. This included closing its bases in Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig, as well as a 60% reduction in Hamburg.
The airline criticized high operational costs in Germany, calling the fees "unsustainable" and demanding adjustments to maintain competitiveness. The measure will affect 1.8 million seats and threatens to reduce the country’s connectivity.
Similarly to its approach in Germany, Ryanair also confronted the French government over increasing costs. In November 2024, it announced it would cut its operations at French regional airports by 50% if the government followed through with its plan to triple the "solidarity tax" on air tickets in the 2025 budget.
Eddie Wilson, Ryanair's CEO, warned that the increase would make many routes unviable and that the airline would relocate its aircraft to countries with lower taxes, such as Poland, Spain, and Sweden.
The case of Spain is just the latest example of Ryanair's recurring strategy: pressuring governments and airport operators to reduce costs or introduce specific incentives. While the airline argues that it aims to maintain competitiveness and offer low prices, airport operators like Aena accuse it of using unfair tactics.
Ryanair’s stance leaves many European regional airports in a vulnerable position, as they heavily rely on the airline’s operations. Negotiations with Spain will now decide whether Ryanair’s pressure strategy succeeds or if the airline follows through with the announced cuts.
Responsable English Feed en Aviacionline. Reportero gráfico.
Para comentar, debés estar registradoPor favor, iniciá sesión