Ryanair. Photo: Shutterstock “The increase in fees at AENA’s regional airports leads to a loss of 800,000 seats in summer 2025,” claims Ryanair.
“AENA, the monopolistic operator of airports in Spain, continues to raise fees annually, significantly impacting regional airports where traffic has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Consequently, we have announced today another reduction of 18% in regional traffic in Spain for summer 2025,” Ryanair states.
Overall, there is an 18% decrease.
Ryanair notes that the decision to close two airports and reduce traffic on additional routes will result in the loss of over 800,000 seats and the closure of 12 routes, severely impacting regional flights, thousands of jobs, and the Spanish tourism industry.
“These consequences could have been avoided if AENA had not continued to raise fees during a time when support is needed for the recovery of regional traffic,” the Irish low-cost airline states, adding that the Spanish government and aviation authorities must quickly act to change AENA’s policy and lower fees at regional airports. Enhancing competitiveness and restoring regional connectivity are key to the recovery of the regional economy and tourism in Spain.”
And Spain is not alone.
The Irish company recently announced that it will reduce its number of flights for the coming summer in other countries as well - the UK, Italy, Germany, and others. There - primarily due to regulatory issues.