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As if the strikes planned to begin this week weren’t bad enough, Ryanair has dealt yet another devastating blow with the news that it’s considering axing even more flights to and from Spanish regional airports.

 

The budget airline is already finalising the announced new cuts to its operations in Spain for the 2025/2026 winter season. In an interview this week, the airline's CEO, Eddie Wilson, announced that it will eliminate "almost a million" seats at lower-traffic airports, in response to the 6.5% increase in Aena fees, the largest in a decade.

 

"We will implement significant cuts at Spanish regional airports this winter, which we will likely announce in late August or early September," he explained. However, he also said his company hasn’t ruled out completely abandoning more airports, as it did with Valladolid and Jerez.

 

The low-cost carrier insists that Spanish regional airports "aren't competitive" with their pricing and that their occupancy rate is only around 70%.

 

"If they were a hotel or a factory, they would be closed, but Aena doesn't want to know anything about it because they're concentrating on Madrid, Barcelona, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands," Mr Wilson criticised.

 

"This is going to be devastating news and will continue until someone comes to their senses," he added.

 

The Irish carrier's demands include reversing the 2024 fare increases and implementing reductions of up to 50% in regional airport fees to maintain traffic, and 100% for increases in 2025 and 2026, with incentives extending for seven years.

 

As an alternative, Ryanair proposes that management of the least profitable airports be transferred to the regional governments.

 

"Aena has failed with its incentive system. The regions would do a much better job, because they are the ones who want jobs and connectivity," Mr Wilson pointed out.

 

While no definitive numbers, airports or routes have been revealed, the upcoming seat reduction will be in addition to the significant cuts Ryanair implemented this summer when it eliminated 800,000 seats, with an 18% reduction in capacity and the axing of 12 routes.

 

 

Image: Ryanair