Ryanair has announced the closure of its base in Santiago and the cancellation of all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North as part of its ongoing reduction of Spanish routes. The airline previously revealed plans to cut one million seats on Spain routes for the upcoming winter season in response to Aena’s proposal to raise passenger fees by 6.5% by 2026.
Despite the exemption from jet fuel taxes for European airlines, which is estimated to be worth £7.5 billion annually in the UK alone, Ryanair is proceeding with its decision. The airline disclosed further details of its plans in a recent press conference, confirming the closure of its Santiago base and the discontinuation of flights to Vigo and Tenerife North. Additionally, bases in Valladolid and Jerez will remain closed, while capacity will be reduced in Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and the Canary Islands this winter.
The cuts are part of Ryanair’s strategy to decrease capacity by 41% in Spanish regions and by 10% in the Canary Islands during the winter season. CEO Eddie Wilson warned of potential negative impacts on investment, connectivity, tourism, and employment in regional Spain due to the economic unviability of many routes.
Ryanair’s plan includes stopping all flights to Vigo in January next year and to Tenerife North at the beginning of the Winter 2025 season. Capacity reductions are set at 45% for Zaragoza, 38% for Santander, 16% for Asturias, and 2% for Vitoria, totaling 36 scrapped routes to and from Spain. Meanwhile, the airline aims to introduce two million additional seats on routes to Italy, Morocco, Croatia, and Albania.
Although the announcement raised concerns, Ryanair intends to continue expanding at major airports like Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, and those in the Balearics and Canary Islands. The impact on the Canary Islands is expected to be less severe compared to mainland Spain, with Ryanair focusing on growth at key airports in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura.
In August, Ryanair reported a 2% increase in passenger numbers, reaching 21.0 million passengers compared to 20.5 million in the same period last year. The airline maintained a steady load factor of 96%. Over the past year leading up to August, Ryanair’s passenger numbers grew by 6% to 203.6 million. Wizz Air also experienced growth, carrying 6.9 million passengers in August with a load factor of 95%, marking an 11% increase from the previous year.
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