Ryanair Slashes 1 Million Spanish Seats, Shifts Focus to Morocco and Italy Amid Airport Tax Hike

Ryanair is making an important decision. The company is expected to announce on Wednesday, September 3, the elimination of nearly one million seats at Spanish airports in response to the expected increase in airport taxes, according to Europa Press. Currently, the Irish low-cost airline offers a wide range of flights to several Spanish destinations such as Alicante, Malaga, Seville and Madrid. The CEO of Ryanair has warned that the company would be forced to relocate planes and capacity to more competitive European markets such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary and Morocco. "We will invest where we can get a return on investment," said Eddie Wilson.

According to his explanations, the decision to cut Spanish seats is a response to the "indifference" of the Spanish government. The company is calling for a reform of the management of Aena, 51% controlled by the State. According to it, this would improve the competitiveness of regional airports, already "70% empty due to a flawed pricing structure". Ryanair has also strongly criticized Aena’s plan to increase its rates by 6.5% by 2026, bringing them to 11.03 euros per passenger. This decision is "unjustified and detrimental," the company says. Aena charges fees to airlines for the use of its airports and services. These fees include the use of their terminals, runways and baggage handling.

The expected increase in rates would also force passengers to pay more to absorb the additional cost. According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, this increase would cost about 59 pence per passenger, the largest increase in years. The Irish low-cost airline is expected to confirm the airports affected by its withdrawal and the precise number of seats at a press conference, reports The Manchester Evening News.