Ryanair has announced the closure of its base in Santiago, along with the cancellation of all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North as part of its ongoing reduction of Spanish routes. In response to Spain’s airport operator Aena planning to raise passenger fees by 6.5% in 2026, the budget airline previously revealed plans to cut its capacity on Spain routes, eliminating a million seats for the upcoming winter season.
Despite European airlines enjoying a tax exemption on jet fuel, unlike other transport modes, flying is considered a major contributor to pollution. This tax break is estimated to be valued at £7.5 billion annually in the UK alone. In a recent press conference, Ryanair executives detailed further cuts, including closing the Santiago base, halting flights to Vigo and Tenerife North, and maintaining closures at Valladolid and Jerez bases. Additionally, the airline will reduce capacity in Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and the Canary Islands this winter.
The airline’s strategy involves decreasing capacity by 41% in Spanish regions and by 10% in the Canary Islands this winter. Ryanair’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, warned that these actions would result in a loss of investment, connectivity, tourism, and employment in regional Spain due to many routes becoming economically unviable. The cuts will involve stopping all flights to Vigo in January next year and to Tenerife North at the start of the Winter 2025 season. Capacity reductions are planned at various airports, including Zaragoza by 45%, Santander by 38%, Asturias by 16%, and Vitoria by 2%, totaling 36 scrapped routes to and from Spain.
Simultaneously, Ryanair aims to introduce two million more seats on routes to Italy, Morocco, Croatia, and Albania. While the announcement raised concerns, particularly in the Canary Islands, the airline intends to continue growth at major airports such as Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, and those in the Balearics.
Ryanair recently reported a 2% increase in passenger numbers, carrying 21.0 million passengers in August compared to 20.5 million in the same period last year. The airline’s load factor remained steady at 96%. Over the past year leading up to August’s end, Ryanair’s passenger numbers grew by 6% to 203.6 million. In comparison, Wizz Air reported carrying 6.9 million passengers last month, reflecting an 11% increase from August 2024, with a load factor of 95%.
