RYANAIR has confirmed that they are to cancel 800,000 seats across 12 routes this summer (Image: Getty)
A mayor of a Spanish city has blasted Ryanair after the airline decided to cancel around 800,000 seats across 12 routes this summer in due to “excessive fees” at the .
has announced plans to reduce its capacity at several airports in the popular European country, including eliminating certain routes.
The budget airline carries around 228 passengers depending on the aircraft which mean thousands of flights in Spain will be scrapped, reports
These include both domestic Spanish routes and international flights with the airline. Flight services will be impacted at Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza, Santander, and Asturias airports.
The Mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca , has a “very negative” view of the announcement that Ryanair will stop operating flights from the airport of the capital of Aragon in its dispute with airport authority Aena over airport taxes, reports .
She said: “I think it clashes with the growth and expansion plans that we are working on with the Government of Aragon and with Aena to attract new flights to the city and airport communications with the rest of the world.”
The budget airline said they would be reducing its capacity across a number of airports in Spain (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, Ryanair attributed its decision to reduce and cancel flights in Spain to “excessive fees” at the country’s airports.
Airport fees in Spain, determined by the state-owned company Aena, have remained frozen since the -19 pandemic. Currently, these fees are among the lowest in Europe, averaging €10.35 (£8.74) per passenger.
Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson said: “AENA’s excessive airport charges and lack of viable incentives for growth continue to harm Spain’s regional airports, limiting their growth and leaving huge areas of airport capacity unused.”]
A spokesperson for Aena told Express.co.uk: “The arguments put forward today by the Irish airline Ryanair to justify its readjustment of routes in Spanish airports is an exact duplicate of its ongoing commercial, communication and business policy in all European countries.
“The average charge to be paid by airlines to Aena for airport services as of 1st March this year will remain frozen at €10.35 [£8.73] per passenger. This charge is among the lowest in Europe.
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“Ryanair’s constant demands, devoid of any courtesy, with regard to Aena’s airport fees, may be found to be in breach of Act 18/2014 and therefore illegal. Additionally they could even be considered by the as state aid.
“In short, Aena regrets that Ryanair is resorting to spurious arguments that do not match the reality of airport charges in Spain, in order to mislead citizens and blatantly put pressure on national and regional public institutions.”
Ryanair had increased its activity in Spain by roughly 8.7% in 2024.
The budget airline announced plans to relocate some of the aircraft currently operating in Spain to other countries where “governments encourage growth,” including Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, and Morocco.
Ryanair operates flights from London Stansted to Zaragoza and Asturias, as well as from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Stansted, and Manchester to Santander.