Ryanair Cuts Spanish Routes, Shifts Focus to Morocco Amid Airport Fee Dispute

Ryanair has announced a reduction of 800,000 seats and 12 routes for its summer season in Spain, a decrease of 18% of the total planned capacity. The regional airports served by the Irish low-cost carrier are the most affected by this decision. The airline justifies its decision by "excessive fees" and the ineffectiveness of "incentive plans" by Aena.

In detail, Ryanair has announced the cessation of its activities in Jerez and Valladolid, and a reduction of flights in five other regional airports, namely: Vigo (-61%), Santiago (-28%), Zaragoza (-20%), Asturias (-11%) and Santander (-5%).

"AENA’s decision not to incentivize airlines to use the unused capacity of its regional airports has forced Ryanair to move its aircraft and capacity to more competitive European markets, such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary and Morocco, where governments are actively encouraging growth," explained Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair.

To support his remarks, the executive cited the case of Castellón airport, which is not managed by AENA and has seen steady growth over the past decade thanks to competitive fees and efficient operations.