The \u00a0Irish airline Ryanair\u00a0 has made headlines recently with its announcement regarding a significant reduction in its operations in Spain for the upcoming winter season. This decision will see the company \u00a0eliminate over a million seats\u00a0 in regional airports and \u00a0cancel 36 direct routes\u00a0, marking a new chapter in its ongoing conflict with AENA, the Spanish airport operator, over airport fees.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The toughest blow<\/strong>. At the forefront of these changes is the closure of Ryanair\u2019s \u00a0operations base\u00a0 in Santiago de Compostela. This base, which maintained two aircraft, will be completely shuttered, and flights to Vigo will be \u00a0suspended starting January 2026\u00a0. Furthermore, flights to Tenerife Norte will cease this winter with the bases in Valladolid and Jerez remaining closed, similar to their status during the summer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Impact on numbers<\/strong>. The repercussions of Ryanair\u2019s decision are substantial, projecting a \u00a0loss of 1.25 million annual seats\u00a0 in Galicia alone. Across the Iberian Peninsula, the airline will reduce its capacity in regional airports by \u00a041%\u00a0, translating to \u00a0600,000 fewer seats\u00a0, while in the Canary Islands, this reduction stands at \u00a010%\u00a0 (approximately 400,000 fewer seats). The closure of the base in Santiago will also result in the loss of \u00a0more than 100 jobs\u00a0, affecting both pilots and cabin crew, although Ryanair has committed to offering transfers to other bases for its employees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other airports in the spotlight<\/strong>. The cuts will also adversely affect several airports including \u00a0Zaragoza\u00a0 with a \u00a045%\u00a0 capacity reduction, \u00a0Santander\u00a0 at \u00a038%\u00a0, \u00a0Asturias\u00a0 down by \u00a016%\u00a0, and \u00a0Vitoria\u00a0 slightly reduced by \u00a02%\u00a0. In total, \u00a036 direct connections\u00a0 with regional and Canary destinations will be canceled, with flights being redirected instead to \u00a0Italy, Morocco, Croatia,\u00a0 and \u00a0Albania\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The official justification<\/strong>. \u00a0Eddie Wilson\u00a0, the CEO of Ryanair, attributed these drastic measures to a \u00a06.62% increase\u00a0 in airport fees that AENA is set to implement next year. According to Wilson, “We cannot justify a continuous investment in airports whose growth is blocked by excessive and uncommunicative rates.” He quantified the lost investment in Galicia at around \u00a0200 million dollars\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Aena’s answer<\/strong>. AENA responded firmly, accusing Ryanair of \u00a0hypocrisy and bad faith\u00a0. \u00a0Maurici Lucena\u00a0, the president of AENA, stated that Spanish rates are “the most competitive in the European landscape” and criticized what he described as “a disturbing plutocratic conception” held by the Irish airline.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Beyond rates<\/strong>. While the focus has primarily been on airport fees, tensions between Ryanair and the Spanish government encompass additional issues, including an \u00a0imposed fine of 109 million euros\u00a0 aimed at the airline for its \u00a0hand luggage policies\u00a0, a ruling that is currently suspended by the courts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Galicia takes the worst part<\/strong>. Specifically regarding the city of Vigo, the stoppage of operations follows the expiration of a \u00a0tourism promotion agreement\u00a0 worth \u00a01.8 million euros\u00a0 with the local City Council, which has unfortunately not been renewed. The \u00a0Xunta de Galicia\u00a0 has already announced intentions to call for an urgent meeting of the Airport Coordination Committee, advocating for a reassessment of AENA’s policies towards medium and small airports.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <img alt=\"Ryanair baggage policy changes impacting employees\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/8f70b2\/maletas\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n <img alt=\"Valladolid airport cafeteria struggles due to Ryanair's decisions\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/94a1df\/valladolid-cafeteria\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n